Intensely Fierce
by soccerstar11-5
Summary: Emily Prentiss is a master at keeping herself guarded. Jennifer Jareau is determined to break down those barriers to fight for a love she knows will be intensely fierce. But at what cost? Emily/JJ. AU slightly. R & R! T for now...may change to M later.
1. Exhaustion

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. If I did, JJ and Emily would be together. End of story.**

**A/N: I'm looking for a beta for this story. Any volunteers? E-mail me at soccerchickgs2004 (at) yahoo (.) com if you're interested. I'll need help not only to get things right, but to keep motivated. Thanks!**

**A/N: I've never written for Criminal Minds before. I've actually only just started watching reruns. If I get anything wrong, please let me know. I want to be as accurate as possible. I will say there will be no Will in this story. It's just too hard to write him in and then take him back out so JJ and Emily can be together. At lease in a way that hasn't already been done a thousand times. So I'll explain little Henry's past later. **

**-FI-**

Exhaustion gripped her tired body as she stumbled into the empty condo. It had been a long case, longer than usual. Dropping her go bag by the door, tossing her keys onto the coffee table and sticking her gun into its place in the gun safe, she made her way slowly upstairs. After being away for eight days, there was nothing more she wanted than to soak in a hot bath and then fall into a coma-like sleep.

Once inside the bathroom, the brunette began filling the tub with scalding water. It was going to be a while before the tub filled to the desired level, so she decided to trek back downstairs to pour herself a glass of wine. Not one to indulge in alcohol on a regular basis, she figured that after the week and half she just had, it was well deserved. When she returned, the water height was just right. Shedding her clothes piece by piece, the brunette finally slid her weary body into the welcoming embrace of the steaming water.

Alone and in the tub, Emily Prentiss reflected on the recently solved case. Although there was still a lot of paper work to complete, the hard part was at least over. The unsub had been caught and would no longer be hurting anyone else. The case, not only longer but also more difficult than normal, had taken a toll on each of the team's members. The unsub, who was now known to be Bradley Sawyer, was not just a serial killer, but also a child molester. He had taken eleven little boys, sexually assaulted then, murdered them, and then dumped their poor little bodies in a local park. He had not only been vicious, but also damn good at staying hidden. They found him simply by accident. Bradley had been speeding and in turn was pulled over. His fatal mistake? He didn't subdue his latest victim. Bradley had taken a twelfth victim and when the police officer walked up to the car, he heard the child crying from the trunk.

JJ and Hotch had the hardest time with the case, both having children of their own. While Jack was in protective custody with Haley, Henry was staying with JJ's mother and father in DC. This didn't stop JJ from calling almost incessantly while they were working the case. Everyone knew the guilt JJ harbored from being away from the feisty four year old. Throughout the case, the brunette could tell that the blonde was hurting. It was written all over her face, was on display in her body language, and could even be heard in every word that came through her tired lips. It didn't take a profiler to see that the blonde was not sleeping. And when JJ was hurting, so too, was Emily. That's what best friends were for, to share pain, happiness, love, memories, and so much more. But as Emily drank a little more wine, she had to confess that her apparent sympathy pains appeared to go slightly deeper than just friendly feelings.

Finishing off the glass of red wine and slightly shaking her head, Emily refused to divulge any further into thoughts of a certain blonde agent she was in contact with nearly every day. Deciding that the water was starting to get too cold for comfort, the brunette climbed out of the tub, dried off and put on her night clothes. Nothing too fancy for the exhausted agent tonight, she wore boxer shorts and an oversized FBI t-shirt she got while in the academy. After finishing her nightly routine and draining the tub, Emily slowly walked back into the master bedroom.

Climbing into her king size bed and getting settled right in the middle, the brunette's final thought before she fell into a deep sleep was, "Finally."

**-FI-**

"_What is that incessant noise?!"_ was Emily's first thought as she was pulled from her deep state of dreamless slumber. As she adjusted to her surroundings and focused her senses, she realized that she was still in the king size bed in her condo. As she threw an agitated glare at her bedside alarm clock, the glowing red numbers seemed to scream 4:23am. Not only was it an ungodly time in the morning to be awake, but she had only gotten about five hours of sleep at this point. And after the case the team just got off of, that was not adequate time to recuperate. As she sharpened her dull senses once more, she became aware of the fact that her cell phone is what interrupted her sleep.

Reaching blindly to her nightstand, Emily fumbled around for the cursed item. Before she came into contact with the small device, she managed to knock off half of the items littering the top, including the alarm clock. Not wanting to miss the caller, she quickly unplugged the phone from the charger and answered it before glancing at the caller id. If she was being honest, she doubted she could even read the name right now anyway. "Prentiss," she answered in a raspy, sleep riddled voice. Silently cursing the way her voice sounded weak and lazy, Emily waited silently for the person on the other end to respond. Maybe they would get the hint and hang up. The brunette simply wanted to go back to sleep.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself after a shudder of something akin to pleasure rippled through her body, Jennifer Jareau was acutely aware that she loved the way Emily's voice was raspy and deep when she had just woken up. This was not the first time that JJ had to call Emily in the middle of the night to awaken the brunette for one reason or another. Nor would it be the last time either. But she knew that every single time, her body responded in much the same way. Finally deciding that she had delayed long enough, JJ finally spoke up, "Emily, its JJ." It was the way she always introduced herself on these late night calls to the brunette.

Emily heard the soft voice on the other end of the line. Immediately, her senses kicked into overdrive, as they usually did during any and all interaction with the blonde. "Jen, is everything okay? Are you and Henry alright?" Though she was sure that she would not be the first person the blonde called in an emergency, Emily's overprotective streak never failed to kick in.

JJ didn't miss the fact that Emily had called her Jen. Usually, she hated the name. No one ever used the shortened version of her name except for Emily, mainly because she forbade them to. Besides, the only time Emily ever let it slip was in these early morning hours during these phone calls. JJ thought it had something to do with Emily not having fully constructed her compartments quickly enough and throwing all of walls back up after being asleep. It made JJ feel special, that she got to share even a small moment of unrestricted time with Emily. She had a feeling that few, if any, people got to experience the brunette without some walls built around her tender heart, or without her putting every emotion into a compartment to be bottled up inside. There was never a moment that Emily Prentiss didn't have a tough exterior present. Except for these moments in the early morning hours. And JJ loved every second of it. The blonde never corrected Emily on the name, because truth be told, she loved the way it sounded coming out of the brunette's mouth in that raspy voice that made her shiver.

Even though they had shared many a late night phone calls, and never had any of them been an emergency in which JJ or Henry would not be alright for any reason, it never failed to warm the heart of the blonde that the first place that Emily's mind went, was to the well-being of her and her son. Speaking softly so as to calm the brunette, JJ replied, "Yeah Emily, everything is perfectly fine. I'm just calling because we've been called in again."

Groaning out of exhaustion and frustration, Emily rolled onto her back and stared into the black towards the ceiling. After a moment of silence, she finally responded, "Are you serious JJ? We just got back from Oregon. Can't they call another team? You know as well as I do that we're all exhausted." Even though, just a few minutes earlier, she wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, she knew now that there was no way that was going to happen, even if JJ did let her go. Her body was now aware that there was a possibility that she would be seeing the blonde agent soon and that alone would keep her awake.

Sighing slightly into the phone, JJ hated being the one to have to call everyone in. She had just been alerted to the unfortunate news herself, at which time she had had much the same reaction as Emily. "I know Emily. Trust me, I know. But all the other teams are on a case in another state. If it's any consolation, this case is here. It's local so we won't have to leave DC." Trying to sound happy about the prospect of being close to home for a change, it still didn't account for the fact that the team was overdue for a break. They were supposed to have the next few days off.

Knowing that she was fighting a losing battle in the argument, that the directives came from above JJ, Emily groaned into the phone. She couldn't help but feel sorry for JJ. She had obviously been woken up even before Emily had, meaning that she had probably gotten even less sleep than herself. This of course was not good because she was probably the member of the team who needed sleep the most. "Okay JJ, you win, as usual. Where do we need to meet and when?" The brunette agent started to get out of bed and move about the room to get ready for the new case. Still groggy with sleep, Emily neglected to turn the bedside light on as she staggered into her bathroom. Before reaching her destination, she managed to stub her toe on the door jam and drop the phone to the ground.

JJ chuckled into the phone as she heard Emily gasp and curse as she retrieved the phone from the ground. "You alright there Em? Did you stub your toe…again?" JJ couldn't hold her laughter in any longer. This was also a regular occurrence. She imagined that Emily would remember the layout of her room by now. But apparently exhaustion didn't bode well for memory at 4:30am.

Emily smiled and started laughing too. She absolutely loved it when JJ called her Em. It was something that she only did when no one else was around. It was like their own little secret. She had never, in her life, allowed anyone to refer to her as anything but Emily. But when the blonde had first used the endearing term, it had just felt right. And to top it off, there was just something about hearing JJ laugh unguardedly that brought joy to her own life. She couldn't help but join in when she heard the ringing laughter of her blonde friend. "You know? I'm glad that you find humor in my physical pain. I mean here I am, getting up and ready at 4:30am, basically at your beck and call, and all you can do is laugh at my inability to walk straight. What a friend you are Jennifer Jareau."

JJ couldn't help but laugh a little harder at Emily's statement. She could hear the smile in the older woman's voice. Only the brunette could make waking up at 4:30am for a case seem fun. "Well, what can I say? You would think that after living there for a few years, you would learn where your own bathroom door is Em. Your inability to walk straight through said door is simply entertainment for me until you learn. So if you want this torment to cease, I suggest you either start using your lamp which I know is untouched on your bedside table, or just don't run into the door. Until one of those two things occurs, you will be forced to suffer through my loving fits of laughter at your expense."

Emily broke down and started laughing just as freely as JJ. Once the two women finally regained control, they knew it was time for business again. JJ began, "We need to meet at the office in an hour. Is that enough time for you, Em?"

"Yeah. That's plenty of time. Have you called anyone else?"

JJ smiled as she answered, "Nope. As always, you were my first call." Technically, JJ was supposed to call Hotch since he was their boss. But Emily lived the furthest away from Quantico, being that her condo was in the heart of Washington, DC. JJ wanted to make sure the brunette agent had enough of a head start to get to work on time with everyone else. At least that is what JJ told herself. If she was being honest though, she just liked hearing Emily's voice first thing in the morning before she had to talk to anyone else.

Emily loved that JJ called her before anyone else. It was not something she had asked the blonde to do; it was just an unspoken understanding. It was nice to feel like JJ was taking care of her in a way. It was nice to feel special. "Okay JJ, I'll meet you there. You want your usual?" On these early morning meetings, Emily always brought JJ a coffee from her favorite place in DC. It was a hole in the wall coffee shop that wasn't near Quantico.

"Yeah, that'd be great Em. Thanks. I'll see you soon. Bye."

"See you in a bit. Be safe. Bye Jen." It never failed to amaze JJ how the simple statement _be safe_ made her feel when muttered from Emily's mouth.

After hanging up with JJ, Emily went about getting ready for the long day she knew she was about to have. While having the blonde near did make the time go by faster, it didn't mean that she didn't get tired. The brunette agent quickly changed into a nice pantsuit hanging in her closet, tied her hair back, and made her way downstairs. Being eternally grateful that she wouldn't need her go bag, Emily grabbed her keys off the coffee table, removed her gun from the gun safe, and made her way to the garage.

Climbing into her black Range Rover SUV, Emily made her way to the coffee shop, and then headed toward the office. Not knowing what the case was about and although it was going to be a long day, she couldn't help but be happy that she would get to spend it with her blonde friend.

**-FI-**

**A/N: I know it's a little short but the next chapter will be longer. Please tell me what you think. I would like to continue but I'm not sure if I should. Also, give me any ideas on where you want this to go. I have a basic idea, obviously Emily/JJ, but I'll take requests and try to implement as many as possible into the story! **


	2. A Local Case

**A/N: WOW! I am completely **_**blown**_** away at the outstanding response I've gotten to this story! So many reviews and even more alerts…and the number of hits! WOW! Thank you all so so SO much! It means the world to me. Not to mention it is a great motivating factor. I hope you all enjoy this as much as you did the last one! **

**A/N: Thanks to Melissa for being my Beta! You are quite possibly the best Beta ever! Thanks to Tayy for helping me hash out the ideas. The story is going to be so much better because of you the two of you!**

**-IF-**

A soft smile graced the lips of the brunette profiler as she strolled into the bullpen at exactly 5:30am. This was her home away from home. Truth be told, she would normally prefer to be here than her empty condo, because at least at work, she was surrounded by family. Growing up as the only child of a US Ambassador, she had grown accustomed to being by herself. However, once Emily joined the BAU that changed. She found that she quite enjoyed having a loving family who cared about her because they wanted to, not because it was an obligation thrust upon them by being blood related. The latter of which she experienced throughout her entire adolescent life until she escaped the charade at the tender age of 18.

Emily made her way to her desk to drop off the few things she brought with her to work. On the way, she realized that she had actually made it to work today before Morgan and Reid, which was a rare occurrence. Usually, Emily was the last to arrive at the BAU on a daily basis. Although she was always on time, and frequently early, she still couldn't seem to arrive ahead of anyone. She chalked this up to her morning commute from DC, but if she was honest with herself, she knew it had something to do with her inability to drag her dead weight she called a body out of bed.

After disposing her items on her desk, Emily quickly made her way towards JJ's office. As the door came into view, Emily felt her smile grow. Even though she had just seen the blonde agent yesterday, she was nonetheless excited about spending the day with her again; even if it was because they were working on a case. Once she reached the door, Emily knocked twice before hearing a soft _come in_ from the other side. "I come bearing gifts," Emily said as she walked fully into the room. As her eyes traveled to the woman behind the desk, Emily held her breath in fear that if she didn't, she would gasp at the sight in front of her. Although she saw JJ almost every day, the sight of the blonde still took her breath away.

JJ was sitting behind her mahogany desk as usual. Piles and stacks of case files littered the area around her, both on top of and around her work area. However, the space right in front of the blonde was clear of any debris. It quickly became obvious to Emily why. JJ had been laying her head down in an effort to get a few minutes more sleep. Even though the blonde was clearly exhausted to the point of uselessness, Emily still found JJ to be the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes upon. Today JJ was wearing a light blue button up shirt that made her blue eyes seem even more vivid than normal. Her blonde hair fell in cascades around her face. Though there were dark circles beneath her eyes, JJ's porcelain skin glowed with its normal vibrancy. Her perpetually rosy cheeks grew in color as Emily walked into her office. JJ never failed to look stunning.

Before JJ made eye contact with the brunette agent, she allowed her eyes to rake appreciatively up Emily's body. She noticed that the older woman wore the blonde's favorite pantsuit. It was a black suite that hugged the curves in all the right, toned place on the brunette. The button down red shirt fit snuggly around the formed abs and voluptuous figure Emily had. As JJ finally made eye contact with Emily's deep brown eyes, the grin on her face grew into a full grown smile. "About time you got here Prentiss. As you can see, I'm falling asleep on the job. Pretty sure that is against some kind of rule around here."

Emily closed the space between herself and the desk before responding. "Well it's a good thing I arrived when I did then Jareau. I wouldn't want you to get fired or something. Although I'm pretty sure you have Hotch wrapped around your little finger, so I doubt that would be much of an issue."

As JJ accepted her coffee from Emily, she allowed her fingers to linger a little longer against the brunette's than necessary. Finally withdrawing her hand, JJ retaliated, "You know, I resent that. Just because Hotch likes me does not give you the authority to use it against me. Maybe if you started turning your paperwork in on time instead of procrastinating and barley making the deadlines, he would like you little better, too."

"Touché JJ. You've got me there. Although most of the time my paper work is late has something to do with the fact that I am helping out a certain blonde friend of mine. I think it has something to do with a certain four year old boy who has stolen my heart," Emily stated as she glanced down at the picture on top of JJ's desk. It was a picture of the little boy she often thought of as a nephew, or on occasion, a son, although she would never admit that out loud to a soul.

"Alright, alright Em. You win. It is usually ninety percent of the time my fault that you're late. But can I help that Henry just loves his 'Aunt Emmy'? Really, that's your fault for being so dang good with him. Sometimes I think he loves you just as much as he loves me." It amazed JJ how loving and caring Emily always was with Henry. It was almost like there were two separate people living in one body. In the work place, Emily was ever the professional. She was always in charge of every situation and confident in her abilities. But with little Henry, the hard exterior just melted away. Emily became almost more overprotective than JJ herself. It was endearing. "He misses you, you know?" JJ whispered before she took a sip of her coffee.

Emily sighed as she responded, "I know. I miss him so much, too. I just have been so busy lately helping the Ambassador out with her events. I know she is just using me and it is starting to get irritating. Especially since by helping her, I am missing time with you and Henry. I'm starting to wish she was still stationed in some foreign country, far away from here. But we need to plan something soon. Maybe we could all go to the zoo. I think he would like that. Is he still with your parents right now?" Emily loved Henry more than she thought she would love a child and she missed him when she didn't see him for days at a time.

"Yeah, I had to call and ask them to keep him for the day again. I'll swing by and pick him up tonight. But we'll definitely go to the zoo. He would love that. He hasn't been in ages." JJ glanced down at her picture of him also before looking back up to Emily. The brunette was still gazing down at Henry's picture and she had even begun to outline his little face with her finger. The look of adoration and unconditional love shone in the woman's eyes, and JJ felt her heart clench at the scene. It was as unguarded as JJ had ever seen Emily be. It was then that she realized that the last case they had all worked had affected Emily just as much as it had her and Hotch.

Before allowing Emily to fall back into those memories of the traumatic case, JJ spoke up again. "Hey Em, we should probably get into the bull pen. I'm sure everyone is here by now and I need to brief the team on the new case."

Emily snapped out of her trance at the soft sound of the blonde's voice. "Yeah you're right. Lead the way, Agent JJ."

With that, both women walked out, side by side, to the bull pen. As they entered, they both noticed that everyone was accounted for. Without breaking stride, JJ spoke to the group, "Conference room in five guys."

As the blonde made her way to the room to prepare before everyone came in, Emily broke off and went to her desk. She knew JJ liked to prepare alone before addressing the entire group. As she sat down, she looked toward her best friend, Derek Morgan, with his head placed firmly in his hands with his elbows resting on the desk and his eyes closed. Before she could say a word, he spoke up, "Don't even go there, Prentiss. I got all of three hours of sleep. So don't go talking to me in your love-sick, sappy, mushy-gushy voice you always get when you come out of JJ's office. Just save it."

That statement effectively shut the brunette agent up. No one on the team knew her secret, except for Morgan. And although there was no one around to hear his nagging, Emily was still horrified that he would even bring it up at work. "Derek, you better shut the hell up before I kick your ass. I think that you and I both know that I can, and will, follow through with that threat." Emily had confessed everything to Morgan on a drunken night after a particularly hard case. None of the other members came out to the bar with the two, so when Morgan started asking probing questions, Emily couldn't deflect and get out of confessing everything. She not only let out that she was gay, which he had picked up on anyway, but she let it spill that she was falling, _had_ fallen actually, madly in love with the blonde hair, blue eyed agent. Instead of being completely dismayed like she had expected him to be, he supported and encouraged her. Finally having someone to talk to and lean on had been her saving grace many a time.

Before Morgan could respond with a threat of his own, Reid walked past with Garcia. "When you two are done arguing like bickering siblings, you're more than welcome to join us in the conference room. I mean, we do have a job to do and all," Garcia said as she passed the duo. As she was walking away, she threw a quick wink in Morgan's direction to let him know she was just kidding.

"She's right. Let's go before we're yelled at for being late. We all know how JJ gets with punctuality," Morgan stated as he rose from his chair and started for the room.

Emily chuckled to herself because she understood that sentiment all too well. As she came into the room, she realized that she was the last to arrive. What she also realized was that her usual seat by JJ was taken. Although JJ usually stood at the front of the room and paced back and forth as she went over the details of the case for the team, Emily still liked to be as close as possible to the blonde agent. As she glared at Morgan, who had purposefully taken her chair, she sat down at the head of the table in the back. Before she turned her attention to JJ, Emily saw Morgan look back at her and wink, with a mischievous glint in his dark eyes. Turning her glare into one laced with daggers, Emily broke eye contact with the male agent and turned her full attention to JJ.

JJ made eye contact with Emily before beginning. The team always had a difficult time when one of them fit the unsub's victimology. This time wasn't going to be any different. Taking a deep breath before tearing her blue eyes away from brown ones, JJ turned to face the board with a list of the current victims. "Alright guys. This unsub is local. The DC police have been tracking him for a month before they called us in. He has taken a total of four victims, each one exactly a week away from each other. Every victim is taken on a Wednesday night and found murdered on a Friday morning. The dump sites have all been in different places along the Potomac River. We know this is the same unsub because he likes to carve a heart into the victim's flesh. Each heart has been carved into the middle of the woman's back. Now, these women have a few things in common. They all have good jobs, they all are single mothers, and they all live in the same area just this side of DC."

Before JJ could continue her introduction of the case, she was interrupted by a soft voice in the back. "You forgot to mention that they all have blonde hair and blue eyes, JJ."

Silently cursing, JJ turned to meet the brown eyes belonging to the voice who had just spoken. "Well yes, there is that, too, Emily."

Emily shook her head gently and held her firm eye contact before continuing, "You fit this victimology to a tee, JJ. Did you not notice? Or were you hoping that we would just ignore that utterly obvious fact?" Emily just couldn't believe how JJ tried to ghost over the fact that she could very easily be victim number five if she wasn't careful. Although she tried her hardest not to get mad, Emily couldn't help but be a little upset. Sure, she knew that JJ loved her job more than anything except for Henry. And normally, she wouldn't have a problem with JJ being a little unworried about her obvious relation to the victimology. But this time was a different story. This time, the unsub was in their area. If for whatever reason the team couldn't apprehend this guy, they couldn't just fly away back to DC. This guy was in DC.

Before either woman could make an additional comment on the matter, Hotch stepped in and spoke up, "I agree with Emily, JJ. You have every single commonality with each of the victims thus far. And usually I would not have a problem with your continuing contribution as a full participating member of the team. But this case is too close to home to allow for normality. I'll still want you involved in all aspects of the case, but from behind the scenes. You'll be required to stay in the office with Garcia. I'll assign the rest of the team to meet with the families of the victims. Emily, should we need to give any statements to the press, which I'm assuming we will, you will be assigned to read them off. JJ, you'll still write the press release, but I want Emily to present it since she has the most experience with public speaking other than you." Emily never had a problem with speaking in large crowds. Her mother was a US Ambassador, thus forcing Emily to lose the fear of being in front of a large group of people at a very young age.

After Hotch finished with his order, JJ immediately began to argue. "Hotch, this is ridiculous. You cannot be serious about pulling me. The unsub is not going to attempt to kidnap and murder a high profile member of the team that is trying to track him down. I've fit the victimology before. Hell, Emily has too. But you've never pulled her off of a case because of that. Besides, I'm not some little girl who can't fend for herself. We all know I'm the best shot in this room," JJ finished in a huff. She was not going down without a fight.

Everyone knew she had Hotch wrapped around her finger. But they also knew that Hotch cared about protecting his team more than anything. "You will be stationed in the bull pen for the duration of this case. That is an order Agent Jareau." Hotch reinforced his statement with a hard stare directed at the young blonde. He considered her like a little sister and would stop at nothing to ensure her safety, even if it did mean restricting her whereabouts to the confines of the BAU office. "Now, please continue JJ."

Before going back to the board, JJ slid a glance towards the brunette seated at the head of the table. From her vantage point, JJ had a clear view of Emily's face. The look of contentment that she saw caused two things to stir inside of JJ. The first, and foremost, was anger. She was furious that Emily had brought up the similarities to begin with. Sure, she knew that one of the members was bound to mention it, but JJ was a little disappointed that that someone ended up being Emily. She, of all people, knew how much JJ loved doing her job. But the second emotion that aroused inside of JJ was one of appreciation. She knew that Emily was just looking out for her safety. If JJ was actually honest with herself, she would pull Emily off of every case the team worked where the brunette fit the victimology herself if she had the authority to do so.

After glowering at the brunette for a second to make sure she knew that the blonde wasn't happy, JJ began her presentation again. "Well as I was saying, the victims have many similarities, including looks. The DC police want this solved ASAP. The case is already getting local coverage. Pretty soon, it's going to make national news. Apparently there is going to be a big charity event held next weekend at the White House. We want to get this solved before then if at all possible."

Hotch stood up at this point to delegate tasks. "Alright guys. I agree with the police. We need this solved and closed before the charity event. Reid, I want you to work on the geographical profile. Garcia, begin working on a paper trail. See if you can find any similarities between these women that we missed. See if they go to the same gym, use the same daycare, or anything else. Morgan and Prentiss, you go visit the first two families and see if you can get any new information. Rossi and I will visit the third and fourth families. JJ, you start working on a press release in case we need to release one soon. Questions?" After receiving "no's" from the entire team, Hotch released them to work on their respective tasks with the instructions to meet back up at three o'clock that do to go over their results.

Hotch and Rossi were the first to leave. Garcia and Reid walked out together talking about the geographic profile and constructing a computerized map of the area in question. Derek turned to Emily and gave her a quick look. Emily nodded her head understanding that Morgan was telling her to come find him when she was done talking to JJ.

Once JJ and Emily were alone in the room, the brunette profiler spoke up first, "I'm sorry, JJ. I didn't mean for Hotch to pull you off the case. I was just pointing out that I was worried about the similarities."

JJ faced Emily once she heard the soft voice come out of the tall agent. She looked deep into brown eyes before responding, "I know. But you've never been inclined to mention anything before when I have fit the profile. Why now? I mean you know how much I love my job. You know that I am damn good at it, too. I can take care of myself you know."

Emily sighed before she responded. "I know JJ. I'm just worried about you is all. This guy is here, in DC. Usually we're in another state when we run across the rare case that you fit the victimology. But this time, I couldn't stop thinking about the what if's, What if we don't find him and you've been all over the news talking about him? Then he'll know what you look like. What about Henry? I honestly don't know what came over me. I was just worrying about you unnecessarily. I'm sorry."

JJ didn't respond immediately to Emily's admission. She knew that Emily hadn't been the one to demand she not work on the case full time. She also knew that if Emily didn't bring up the similarities, then one of the others would have. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, JJ, never having taken her blues eyes away from Emily's brown ones, responded, "I know Em. I'm just upset. You know I like to be with you and the guys out in the field. I may not be a profiler, but I like being there for the families in these hard times. Besides, I have the best shot on the team. Who's gonna be there to watch your back, Prentiss?" JJ finished with a crooked smile on her face. Try as she might, there was no way she could stay mad at the brunette, especially when the profiler was being so emotionally raw with her today.

Emily breathed a soft sigh of relief. For some reason, her normal barriers and compartmentalizing wasn't working as normal today. She knew that JJ could tell she was worried about the blonde. She also knew that normally, that worry would be hidden into a compartment, usually in the depths of her mind. But something today was amiss. And because of that problems, she knew there was no way that she would have been able to work normally knowing that JJ was mad at her. "Well JJ, although you may be the best shot on the team, you know as well as I do that I run a close second. I think I can handle the pressure for one case," Emily finished with playful banter of her own.

Before either woman could continue with their conversation, they were interrupted by Morgan sticking his head in the door, "Hey Prentiss, we've gotta roll. Hotch and Rossi just left. We should probably head out, too."

Looking over her shoulder to respond, Emily made eye contact with Morgan, "I'll be right there." Watching as the handsome agent left the room, Emily turned back towards JJ. "Well, you heard the man. I've got to head out. You know how impatient the man can be."

"Oh I know. He is about as impatient as you are. Which is saying a lot, because you are the most impatient person I know. But, I understand. Be safe out there today. I wouldn't want to have to break Hotch's orders to come save your ass," JJ said with a smirk on her face, the previous disagreement already forgotten about.

"Always. And even though you'll be on temporary house arrest, you be safe, too. I wouldn't want to have to leave the field to come babysit you," Emily replied right back.

JJ watched as the brunette profiler quickly made her way down into the bull pen where Morgan was anxiously awaiting her arrival. The two friends made their way towards the parking garage to start their day of questioning the victim's families. Her previous excitement about working with JJ was already long forgotten and buried away since it was no longer a possibility. The desire to finish this case and take the mother and son pair to the zoo now resided at the forefront of her mind.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Again guys, please read and review. Put in any suggestions you have, like I said, I'll implement as many as possible! I hope you enjoy!**


	3. Blush

**A/N: Just a quick note, I mention Henry's father briefly-ish in this chapter. It will be explained more thoroughly later. I promise!**

**A/N: Thanks again to my Beta Melissa! You are a life-saver. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!**

**-IF-**

"Honestly Garcia, I have no idea how you handle staying here during cases. I'm going crazy not being in the field with everyone and its only 11:30," JJ said in an annoyed voice. The two women, having just gotten back from getting coffee number four, settled back into their seats in the computer lab. With the rest of the team gone, JJ didn't know what to do. She had already finished as much as she could on the press release with the miniscule amount of information she had. Not being able to sit idly in her office alone, the blonde agent had ventured out in search of her blonde friend. The computer genius was found in her lab finishing up on the map that she and Reid had discussed earlier.

Garcia gazed over the rim of her coffee mug towards the other blonde. "It gets better with time I guess. I think it also has to do with the fact that even if I do go on location, everything you guys really need me for can be accomplished from a chair behind my computer. I haven't really gotten a taste for the big action in the field, so it doesn't bother me so much. Perk up, Buttercup, you'll be back out there in no time!" Garcia's never ending supply of nicknames for everyone never ceased to amaze JJ. Buttercup was a new one. After watching JJ sit despondently for a few silent moments, Garcia decided to change the subject to one she knew they would both enjoy. "So tell me Blondie, how is my favorite four year old?"

At the mentioning of her charismatic son, JJ's mouth formed into a soft smile. "He's doing great. I miss him terribly though. Since it was so late last night when we all got in, I decided to let him stay at my parents. I figured that I would have been able to pick him up today since we were supposed to be off. But then we got called in, so I haven't seen him since before our last case. I honestly can't wait until tonight when I can go pick him up," JJ responded. Just thinking about holding Henry in her arms again brought a full smile to her face.

Garcia also smiled at the thought of the little boy. He was a ball of energy that had every single person in the BAU wrapped around his pinky finger. However, she knew, along with everyone else in the office, that Emily was wrapped quite a bit tighter than the others. After reminiscing for a moment, Garcia focused on JJ again. She could tell that her blonde friend was missing her son more than she was letting on. Leaning forward, Garcia wrapped JJ's small hand into both of her own and responded, "I know he misses you like crazy too, JJ. That kid is the biggest 'Mama's Boy' I have ever met." Wanting to climb out of the somber mood that had unfortunately settled comfortably over the lab, Garcia brought up a subject that always made JJ happy, even if she would never admit it, "Not to mention, he has a certain brunette profiler available at his beck and call. The kid's got it made I tell you!" Garcia attempted to look innocently into JJ's blue eyes, but she couldn't completely hide the mischievous glint that twinkled in her own brown ones.

JJ narrowed her eyes at her blonde friend. Garcia was the only person in the BAU who knew of JJ's sexual orientation. She was also the only person who knew of the blonde's feelings towards Emily. Normally, a casual conversation that happened to include Emily wouldn't be a big deal. However, JJ knew that this was anything but a casual conversation. Neither one had anything to work on at the current moment, so she knew what was about to happen. She was so not in the mood for this. After a moment of silence, JJ responded, "And what, pray tell, does my son's obsession with Emily have to do with anything?" JJ was well aware that her son cared for Emily almost as much as he cared for her. There was some kind of special bond between the two that none of the other BAU members had formed with the child.

"I was merely bringing up that I bet Henry misses Emily, too. They haven't seen each other in, gosh, going on a month now isn't it? I was simply making an observation," Garcia attempted to respond dismissively.

Not quite sure where this conversation was going, but having a decent idea, JJ decided to play along for now. "Yeah, it's been close to a month. But you know she's been helping her mother with some event she's throwing next weekend. Apparently a lot goes into those things. But she did mention us taking Henry to the zoo soon. Emily was surprisingly very open with the fact that she misses Henry."

Hearing the admission about the zoo, Garcia perked up immensely. She knew that JJ had feelings for Emily. She was pretty sure that Emily reciprocated said feelings, but she wasn't sure. All she knew for sure was that JJ kept her time with Emily very quiet. Emily was already a closed off person, so Garcia knew she was never going to find anything out from her. However, JJ could only stay silent for so long. Garcia was sure that she would be able to wear her down in a matter of minutes. "The zoo? Really now? Like, a little happy family, huh?"

JJ immediately noticed the twinkle in Garcia's eyes as she mentioned 'little happy family'. Usually, this kind of conversation would send the blonde woman running in the other direction because she was simply too afraid to confront her feelings for the brunette. She was too afraid to lose her friendship with Emily. A friendship she valued more than all others. But something about this last case with the little boys and the way JJ had seen Emily acting earlier about Henry had awoken her deeply buried desire to be with the profiler. "What are you getting at Garcia? You know it is nothing like that. Emily wants to spend time with Henry. There are no underlying motives there."

Garcia was quick to retaliate, "Well Buttercup, I beg to differ. You allow Emily to take Henry by herself, correct?"

A short pause was followed by a soft, "Yes," from the blonde.

"Well, she knows that you would allow her to take Henry to the zoo by herself. Why, then, if she only wanted to spend time with him, did she ask you to go, too?"

"Because we're friends and she wants to spend time with me, too. It's really that simple Garcia. You're trying to read way more into this than there actually is," JJ responded. However, JJ asked herself the same thing. Emily knew that JJ would allow her to take Henry out alone. The two had been on many a day trip to various locations. Henry had even spent the night with Emily on occasion. But JJ, usually ever the optimist, just couldn't risk getting her hopes up when the subject of those hopes was Emily Prentiss.

Garcia was determined not to lose this battle with her the blonde agent. Usually, she would let JJ hide behind her emotions and not face reality. But reality was sitting right in front of her and all she had to do was open her eyes and grab it. "But you two see each other all the time at work, so it's not like she has much opportunity to miss you. Look, JJ, we've had this conversation before. You're going to have to be the one to make the first move. I'm 98% sure that Emily has feelings for you, too. We both know how guarded she is though, so you're just going to have to take a risk."

JJ sighed heavily before responding. She was trying her hardest not to allow hope to capture her heart, but with Garcia urging her forward, it was hard to resist. Especially when her own feelings where screaming at her to reach for the brunette and never let go. With a last ditch effort, JJ attempt to convince herself that it was all a bad idea, "But what if we're wrong Garcia? What if Emily doesn't have feelings for me? I mean, how do we even know she has an interest in other women? She could be completely straight for all we know."

Garcia was ready and waiting for this question. She didn't miss a beat before responding, "Let's look at the facts JJ. Although Emily is extremely cautious about divulging information when it pertains to her personal life, we still know a few things about her. Except for her past relationships. I have never, not once, heard her mention a past relationship, or even a past date. She seems to keep this information closest to her chest. Now what reason would she have other than she most likely isn't your traditional thirty-something year old woman? I've seen her wear a skirt or dress all of _never_ into this place. She drives an extremely manly, and expensive I might add, Range Rover SUV. She wears minimal amounts of make-up. Need I really go on?"

Although Garcia had made a lot of valid points, JJ still wasn't fully satisfied. "First of all Garcia, those are all gross stereotypes. I mean, I don't fall into any of those and you know it. Second of all, how do we even know she has feelings for me? How do we even know that I am her type, assuming she is into women of course?"

This was the part Garcia was most excited about. This was the question she wanted to answer the most. "JJ, honey, I've seen the way she looks at you when she doesn't believe anyone is paying attention to her. She has such a look of barely restrained longing clouding her eyes. I'm surprised she can keep that locked into one of her little compartments all of the time. But during those few briefs moments when she believes she is not being watched, I've seen the look. You just have to trust me on this JJ. She feels the same way, I know it. But you're going to have to take the first step. Not only is she more emotionally blocked off than anyone I have ever met, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't think you are gay. As you said earlier, you don't fit the normal stereotypes, so she probably has no clue. Not to mention, you have a son."

JJ smiled briefly at Garcia's statement. She really didn't fit into the typical lesbian role. And then there was the fact she did have a child. Granted, Henry was the result of a crazy night out with her old soccer girlfriends gone badly. Needless to say, one too many tequila shots, a sloppy one night stand with a man she couldn't even remember the name of, and nine months later, here comes Henry. Serves her right for wanting to see what it was like to sleep with a man.

Deciding that she needed time to think about everything she and Garcia had gone over before making any decisions on her future, JJ began to speak up. But before she could even get a word out, the two women heard a booming laugh coming from the bull pen. Knowing that laugh anywhere, Garcia jumped out of her seat and quickly made her way to the door. She ran into the bull pen to see Morgan sitting at his desk, barely able to contain himself. He was hunched over and holding his stomach with both arms. Emily was sitting in her desk glowering at Morgan and a slight blush creeping up her neck. Wanting to let her presence be known, Garcia spoke up, "What's so funny, my chocolate god?"

As the handsome profiler sat up in his seat, he noticed Garcia and JJ standing at the entrance to the bull pen from Garcia's lab. Before he could answer however, Emily cut in, "Nothing is funny. Don't worry about it, Garcia. How have things been here?" Wanting to deflect any and all attention from herself, Emily attempted to change the subject quickly as she looked Garcia's way. She immediately noticed, quite regretfully, that JJ was standing beside the blonde computer tech. Usually Emily looked forward to the times when JJ would be in the bullpen, but not at this moment, with Morgan about to ruin her day. Quickly breaking eye contact with the blonde media liaison, Emily returned her stare to Morgan in a last effort to warn him against what he was about to do.

JJ, loving the blush that was starting to ebb its way up Emily's neck, wasn't about to let this go. Seeing Emily so out of her element and so clearly upset or embarrassed about something made JJ _need_ to know what was causing the usually reserved profiler to react in such a way. "Oh, no you don't Prentiss. I think something must be pretty funny if it has Morgan barely able to contain himself and you starting to blush uncontrollably. I want to know what happened," JJ stated as she took in Emily's appearance. The blush was suiting on the brunette. JJ thought she could get used to seeing Emily flustered. JJ slightly shook her head to clear her mind before it turned to less than friendly thoughts, she then turned her head towards the male profiler and spoke up again, "Morgan, care to enlighten us?"

Morgan looked between the two groups of women. On one hand, he had his best friend glaring at him and looking as though she could rip his head off. On the other hand, he had JJ and Garcia; both wanting nothing more than anything to find out what was going on. Knowing how determined and unrelenting Garcia was when it came to anything gossip related, and knowing how good of a shot JJ had, he decided to take his chances with Emily. "Okay, so you two know we went to visit the first two victim's families. I'll spare you the details since we'll go over them later, but the first family was a bust.

"Well, the second victim's family was a bit more…interesting we'll say. The second family was Gina William's family. When we went to interview them we found out she only has one living relative, a younger sister named Karis. Well, the two weren't close. They apparently haven't even spoken in over four years. But we'll get to that later with Hotch and Rossi. Anyway, what _is_ relevant to the story is that Karis was breathtakingly beautiful! She had long blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, legs that went on for miles and…"

Before Morgan could continue on his rant about Karis's good looks, JJ forcefully interrupted him, "All right Morgan we get it. The girl was hot. Spare us the details and get on with the story."

"Alright, alright. But patience is a virtue, you know," Morgan shot back. He hated to be interrupted.

JJ sighed heavily before answering, "Yes, in most cases. However, I have little patience to listen as you drool over some smoking hot bimbo."

"I'd be careful with what you say JJ. The girl bore a striking resemblance to you," Morgan chuckled softly. _See how she responds to that_ he thought cheekily to himself.

"Flattery gets you nowhere with me Morgan and you know it. Not continue with the damn story!" JJ shot back. Usually she enjoyed the playful banter she experienced with the team. It relieved some of the stress brought on by their heavy case load. But not right now. Right now Emily was shifting uncomfortably in her desk chair. The blush that was barely noticeable before was now much more pronounced and seemed to be growing deeper, especially on her cheeks. JJ was dying to know why the normally unreadable profiler was squirming in her seat.

"Okay fine. Anyway, as I was saying, Karis is hot. Needless to say, since she was obviously not affected by the death of her sister, I may have been getting my flirt on with her. Well, I guess I should say I was trying to get my flirt on. Imagine my shock when I found out I wasn't her type. Not only was I not her type, I was completely the wrong gender," Morgan paused for dramatic effect. He looked quickly to his side to see how Emily was doing. She had her head in her hands with her elbows resting on each knee. Her dark brunette hair fell conveniently in a way that blocked his view of her for the moment. He did notice, however, that JJ had an unobstructed view of Emily's no doubt reddened face. Looking back at JJ, Morgan continued, "But apparently, Prentiss over here, is exactly her type. Karis couldn't take those blue eyes off of her. When we were leaving, Karis made it a point to make her intentions known. She walked over to Prentiss, grabbed her hand, and wrote her number down on it. Then, she leaned in very seductively and whispered in Emily's ear, in a voice loud enough for me to hear mind you, 'If you need anything Agent Prentiss, and I mean anything at all, don't hesitate to call.' I don't think I have ever seen Prentiss so embarrassed ever. I have never seen anyone blush more than she did in that moment!" _Except for right now_ thought Morgan to himself as he finished retelling the story.

Morgan couldn't contain his laughter anymore. He had been doing well since the incident occurred. Neither he nor Emily had spoken a word to each other the whole way back to the BAU. But the moment they had gotten to the bull pen, he couldn't resist any longer. Morgan looked towards Emily after his account of what had transpired with Karis to gauge the reaction he was getting from her. It was nothing short of what he expected. The brunette profiler had raised her head and was now burning deep red and glaring daggers at him. If looks could kill, he would surely be dead at least ten times over. The small woman was silently clenching and unclenching her jaw in an attempt to quell some of her rage. She had a white-knuckled grip on the arms of her chair. Quite frankly, Morgan was slightly scared of her. Perhaps he had made the wrong decision in telling the story after all.

Turning his attention away from Prentiss for a moment, Morgan wanted to see if Garcia and JJ found the story as funny as he did. But when he glanced towards the duo, what he saw slightly surprised him. Garcia had a smug look of satisfaction on her smiling face. He made a mental note to ask her about that later.

The reaction Morgan saw from JJ completely took him by surprise. JJ had an obvious look of pure jealousy gracing her delicate features. Usually, while the blonde was at work, she wore her media liaison face which was similar to, albeit not as efficient as, Emily's compartmentalization skills. But right now, Morgan could read every emotion that flashed in the blonde's blue eyes. While he was reading JJ, the blonde was ignoring him and looking towards the brunette profiler sitting behind her desk. Before he knew what was happening, JJ spoke up, "Well Emily, are you going to call her? Are you going to call this _Karis_ girl?" The venom with which the name Karis came out of JJ's mouth was not lost on anyone present in the room.

Emily tore her glare away from Morgan and turned her head slightly to take in JJ's presence. She had initially been trying to ignore her and Garcia, knowing that the retelling of her encounter was going to be painful enough. It wasn't like she had never been hit on before, especially while on a case. It actually happened more often than she would ever let on. Granted, she never followed through with any of the offers, but that didn't mean it never happened. It just usually happened when no one was around and could bear witness to the exchanges. But this time had been different. As Morgan had pointed out, Karis looked remarkably similar to JJ. They could have even been sisters meaning that Karis was almost exactly Emily's type. So when Karis had been so bold, Emily couldn't help but shudder involuntarily as the blonde had grabbed her hand and whispered in her ear. The only thoughts Emily had at the time, however, were wishing that it was actually JJ behind those actions. While Morgan had noticed Emily's reaction to Karis, he had graciously left that part of the story out of his retelling. At least that much she was grateful for.

Although she had been doing a good job ignoring the two blondes standing in the room, Emily couldn't keep her eyes away when JJ's jealously-laced voice penetrated her closed off mind. The sight that awaited her startled her somewhat. JJ stood beside Garcia with her arms crossed tightly in front of her chest. Her right foot was lightly tapping the ground in a quick and even tempo. Her blue eyes shone with a vibrant intensity the brunette could not tear her brown gaze from. JJ's lips were set into a thin, straight line as her jaw muscles visibly flexed beneath her flushed porcelain skin. All in all, JJ had never looked more attractive to Emily than in that moment. Jealous JJ was someone Emily could very easily get used to. Thrown off a little by JJ's obvious, if not uncalled for, dislike for Karis, Emily struggled to respond, "I don't know. I mean, no, I can't because she is involved with the case. Not that I would, mind you, since I don't even know her. I tried to wipe her number off my hand actually, but she used sharpie so it won't even smear. I have every intention on forgetting this whole thing ever occurred," Emily finished weakly while still staring at an upset JJ. She was still slightly confused as to what was happening. She felt at a loss, which is something that never happened to her. She was always in control of every situation.

Garcia noticed that the normally reserved and put together Emily Prentiss was clearly flustered because she was uncharacteristically rambling. The blonde computer tech saw her opportunity to gather information from the normally private profiler. "Yeah, but she's got blonde hair and blue eyes though, so she's obviously your type right, Sugarbear?"

Not used to being in compromising situations, Emily remained flustered and so she responded to Garcia's casual statement without giving it a second thought, "Well yeah, of course she's my type." However, as soon as the words left her mouth, Emily realized a moment too late, her fatal mistake. She began mentally cursing Garcia and her cunning ways. Emily squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples with her fingers. After a moment, or ten, of shocked silence, Emily, still with her eyes tightly shut, spoke up, "How did you even know Garcia?"

The computer genius didn't respond immediately. She just smiled softly to herself before answering in a sing song-ish voice, "I didn't know. But I do now." With those parting words, Garcia left the room to retreat back to her lab. Her job was done. From here on in, it was up to JJ.

After hearing the soft click of Garcia's door shutting, Emily finally called upon enough inner courage to open her eyes. She looked up and made eye contact with JJ. The blue eyes of the blonde media liaison were now distant and seemed to be looking at something not entirely in the room. Before Emily could say anything, JJ quickly turned on her heel and retreated to her office. After staring at the spot that JJ had just occupied, Emily turned to Morgan and gave him a look that could make a hardened serial killer cringe. "I blame you for all of this, you know?" Emily seethed.

Morgan threw his hands in the air and shrugged his broad shoulders as he responded. "Hey, I'm not the one who let the cat out of the bag. That one is all on you. I was simply retelling a funny story. I never once mentioned that you were into blonde hair, blue eyed women that look exactly like JJ."

"Yeah, but if it wasn't for your raucous laughter, they wouldn't have come in here asking questions. Then I wouldn't have gotten flustered and the rhetorical cat would still be sitting pretty in her closed bag," Emily ground out, doing her best to keep her temper in check.

"If you ask me, this is a good thing," Morgan attempted. At this point, he was anxious to get the spotlight off of him and his part in basically outing Emily.

"And how would you gather that Morgan?" _This should be interesting_, thought Emily to herself.

"Well, I couldn't have been the only one to notice the way JJ went all 'jealous girlfriend' on Karis. I'm just saying, you might have your chance yet, Prentiss."

Sighing slightly at Morgan's admission, Emily had to admit that the man had a point. She was also trying to convince herself that it was just her overactive imagination trying to convince her of something her heart wanted. She had learned long ago to dismiss anything pertaining to her imagination and especially her heart. "I don't care what you think Morgan, but this is not how I wanted them to find out about me being gay."

Morgan looked incredulously at Emily for a moment before responding, "Find out? You're kidding me right? You and I both know that if it was totally up to you, neither of them would have ever found out. Hell, you would have never told me if you hadn't been drunk and lonely. So don't try to pull that shit with me." Only getting an undecipherable reply from Emily, Morgan continued, "That's what I thought."

Emily turned back toward her desk after deciding that her conversation with Morgan was over for now. She personally didn't want to think about what had just happened. She had a lot of paperwork to do from the last case, and then she had to compile all the information she and Morgan had gotten from the interviews today to present to Hotch and Rossi at 3:30 this afternoon. Emily wanted nothing more than to go talk to Garcia and then JJ. She wanted to go explain herself, as best she could without revealing her true feelings, to JJ. But instead, doing what she always did best, Emily filed the exchange into one of her many compartments, and began on her work. Those conversations would have to wait until another day.

**-IF-**

JJ wasn't sure how long she sat in her office chair behind her desk. She was astonished. She found it uncanny that she had just had a conversation with Garcia about Emily and their theories about the brunette being attracted to women or not. JJ was needless to say shocked at what had transpired since then.

It had all started with Morgan and his outrageous story. Initially, JJ was inclined to believe that the profiler was lying. However, while she watched Emily grow a deeper shade of red with each passing moment, she knew that Morgan was telling the truth, word for word. By the end of the story, JJ was beside herself with jealousy. Normally, the blonde would have been able to keep those emotions under wraps. However, after being pulled from the field, having just had a deep, heartfelt conversation with Garcia and missing her son, JJ's emotions were a little out of balance. She had been unable to hide her jealousy under her normal media liaison mask. And then, when she had seen Emily's blush, she just lost it and couldn't restrain herself from asking about Emily's intentions with the girl. The blonde had interpreted the blushing as a sign that Emily was interested in Karis. JJ assumed that by blushing, Emily was admitting her attraction to the victim's sister.

What scared JJ the most though, was the amount of jealous rage that had coursed through her body and then her inability to rein it in. Not only that, but she had lost control of herself in front of everyone. That was simply unacceptable. She had never been the jealous type before. But then, she had also never been so completely infatuated with anyone the way she was with Emily. How was she going to explain this away? Sure, Garcia knew that JJ had been attracted to Emily the moment the brunette profiler had joined the team. But Morgan and Emily didn't know. They didn't even know she was gay.

Groaning slightly and dropping her head onto her folded arms on top of her desk, JJ began thinking of ways to dig herself out of this hole which was starting to feel more and more like a grave. Perhaps she could pretend she was angry because she thought Emily was breaking the rules about fraternizing with the people involved in an ongoing investigation. Truth be told though, she wouldn't even by that herself. She could always say that she was just upset because she had just found out that her best friend was gay. That was logical. No one wants to find that kind of information out by accident.

After creating a believable excuse, JJ began thinking about Emily's unintentional confession. After Emily's pathetic and babbling response to her own inquires, JJ was shocked when Garcia asked about the brunette's type. JJ thought for sure that Emily wouldn't reply so easily to the obviously baited question. But when Emily had responded that Karis had been her type, JJ was stunned into silence. Not only had Emily just admitted, out loud, that she was into women, she had also concurrently admitted what her type was. The fact that Emily's type just so happened to fit JJ to a tee, was not lost on the blonde agent.

JJ wasn't sure what to feel or think. If she really evaluated it though, she knew that she was happy and relieved. There was almost nothing holding her back now. Except for the small fact that Emily had no clue that JJ was gay. And not to mention that Emily's emotional barriers were almost impenetrable. The only time the blonde had ever seen the brunette as close to unguarded as she supposed the profiler ever got, was when the she was around Henry. JJ knew then that she was going to do everything in her power to break every wall surrounding Emily's heart. She wanted to experience the free and unguarded Emily the way Henry got to. She just had to overcome her owns fears of rejection.

Before she could really think much more on the matter, JJ's desk phone rang. Without looking at the caller id, JJ answered, "Jareau."

"It's Hotch. Everyone is back early, so meet in the conference room in five minutes." With nothing further, Hotch didn't wait for an answer and hung up.

JJ sighed as she stood from behind her large mahogany desk. She glanced at the clock and read 2:45pm meaning she had been in a daze for much longer than she thought. Making her way through her messy office, she realized she would have to wait a little while before thinking about how to proceed with Emily. Garcia was right about one thing though, she was going to have to make the first move.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Please review guys. I put a lot of time and effort into this chapter and I want to know what you all think! Besides, the reviews let me know if I'm doing things right or what I need to work on or change. I hope you enjoyed this though. Any suggestions so far? Let me know! **


	4. Case Details

**A/N: WOW! I am once again blown away by all the reviews that I received! I tried to respond to everyone, but if I left you out, I'm so sorry! Please continue to review because they honestly help me keep motivated to keep cranking these chapters out for you guys! **

**A/N: As always, thanks to my FANTASTIC beta Melissa! You are my number one motivating factor! Not to mention you are my life-saver when it comes to case writing!**

**-IF-**

Strolling along at a much slower pace than her normal purposeful stride, JJ was the last member of the BAU to enter the conference room. After looking around to see where the final available chair could be found, she was somewhat grateful that it was across the room from Emily. Now all she had to do was walk behind the profiler to get to the chair. Easier said than done. Though she was thrilled about the new revelations pertaining to the brunette, she was nevertheless still trying to process things in her mind. Quite simply, being in close proximity to the profiler right now would do nothing but force JJ to lose her train of thought. Even being in the same room was going to be a difficult endeavor, but it would be much more bearable if she did not have to concentrate so hard on _not_ being acutely aware of every detail about Emily. JJ knew that if she sat near Emily, today more so than other days, she would be distracted by the brunette's distinctive, musky aroma of foreign perfume, how many times she tucked a stray piece of brunette hair behind an ear, or simply each breath she inhaled and exhaled. No, it was much safer to be further away from these potential diversions for the time being.

As she made her way to the chair designated for her, JJ slid a cautious gaze towards Emily. The first thing she noticed was that the brunette profiler was doing her best to not make eye contact with anyone. But what she also took note of was the way Emily uncharacteristically fidgeted nervously with the pen in front of her and the way her jaw continuously clenched and unclenched. As JJ passed behind Emily's chair, she allowed her gaze to linger on the brunette. She watched as Emily discreetly held her eyes closed for a few moments, sucked in and held a deep and lingering breath, licked her full lips, and swallowed shakily. These actions suggested that JJ's mere presence brought on this reaction from the brunette, especially since the two had yet to even make any eye contact. If there was any doubt about Emily's physical attraction to JJ, at least that part of the equation had been solved. Now, the question remained, was there was more to the physical attraction? More specifically, the question was whether or not the connection would, or could run deeper. As JJ finally reached her seat at the front of the room, she thought, _Why have I not seen these reactions from her before. _As she reflected, she knew it was because she had always been too afraid to look for them in the first place.

After Emily knew JJ had taken her seat at the head of the table, she allowed herself to breathe once again. She scolded herself for letting her emotions get the better of her for the umpteenth time that day. Now that JJ and Garcia knew of her preference, not only in regards to gender but also in general type, she had to be much more careful and guarded around the blonde media liaison. JJ had been the one person Emily let her walls down the lowest around, however, now she was going to not only have to build those walls higher, but she was going to have to fortify and strengthen them so as not to let anything slip. If there was one thing in this world that kept her sane through all the horrible mess she dealt with day in and day out, it was Jennifer Jareau. Emily would be damned if she would risk losing that.

After what seemed like hours of uncomfortably awkward silence, Hotch stood and began the meeting. "I trust everyone has completed his or her designated tasks." After receiving firm nods from all in attendance, Hotch continued. "Okay, let's start with Prentiss and Morgan then."

Morgan began since it had been decided that he would introduce the first victim. He thought it had been because Emily was emotionally attached to the second case because of Karis; however, Emily secretly didn't want Morgan to reveal any information about her 'incident' as she had begun referring to it as. "Well the first victim was LeAnn McGuire. The family wasn't able to give us any more information than what the police had already gathered. The family was estranged. LeAnn's father passed away last year and her mother has been busy trying to support herself. She didn't approve of LeAnn raising her son, Joel who is now four, by herself. Joel is going to be going into foster care because she can't afford to keep him."

Emily picked up to go over the second visit, "The second victim, Gina Williams, was similar. She had one remaining relative, a younger sister, which she hadn't spoken to in four years. Her son, Austin who is also four, will also be put into foster care. The sister doesn't want him and there are no living relatives to be spoken of. The parents passed away in a car accident two years ago. So as you can see, Gina and LeAnn are basically alone in life. They live alone, save for their four year old sons, and they are estranged from their families for one reason or another. In Gina's case, the reason the sister's didn't talk anymore was because, according to Karis, Austin's father Chris, left Gina to be with her. Although Karis had no interest in Chris, Gina still blamed her for their break up and the two sisters haven't spoken since. Chris hasn't been in the picture since before the child was born. We have no way of tracking him because Karis doesn't remember his last name, or so she claims, and Austin has Gina's last name.

"What about Joel's father?" Rossi asked.

"Oh, as LeAnn's mother puts it, 'She got knocked up by some good for nothing loser just looking to get laid.' The mother states she doesn't know who the father is. Once again, the child has the mother's last name," Morgan responded.

Rossi rose from his seat to pace back and forth in front of the team, "Well, Hotch and I had much the same results. Our two victims, Rachel Fulton and Brittany Smith, were estranged from their families, their sons have nowhere to go and we don't know where the fathers are. In summary, these women have the same life. They take their sons to daycare, go to work, pick their sons up, and go home. They are most likely loners who only venture out for necessities like groceries, clothes, doctor appointments, or things along those lines. Our unsub is someone who is at one of these essential locations. Garcia, did you find anything that could link all four victims?"

As Rossi was going over the facts, JJ and Hotch made eye contact across the table. He was the only team member, except for Garcia, who was aware that JJ had no clue who the father of her child was. Henry even had her last name. The others just believed that his father wasn't in the picture and she never led them to believe otherwise. She felt the guiltiest about misleading Emily considering how close she was with Henry. But Emily never asked for details surrounding Henry's birth, and JJ never volunteered them. All Hotch did was stare hard into JJ eyes and she knew what he was trying to convey to her. He was worried even more about her safety now. No doubt he would try to put some kind of protective detail on her for the remainder of the case. Usually she would try to fight the unnecessary precautions, but with Henry to think about, she couldn't bear to not use every resource provided for her. With a hard stare back, JJ tried to communicate that she didn't fit the profile to a tee. She was not estranged from her family. In fact, her parents supported her one hundred percent and even helped her out so she wouldn't have to enter Henry into daycare. Since her parents knew JJ was a lesbian, they had never really hoped to have any grandkids. However, when she had turned up pregnant, while they had been shocked and slightly disappointed in her at first, they quickly accepted and celebrated the good news.

JJ knew that Hotch was aware of the one key difference, but she also knew that minor detail would not prevent him from acting on every possible precaution. Not to mention he would have the support of every person in the room. Finally breaking eye contact with her boss, JJ turned to watch as Garcia pulled up her findings on the board and began speaking, "Well, you're right about one thing Rossi, these women do very little. Outside of work, they are boring. They all have different jobs in different fields, they went to different schools, and they even drive different cars. However, there were a few similarities I found in all four victims. They all used the same grocery store, bank, and pediatrician. They used Publix, The Bank of American, and Dr. Leroy Gibson, MD." Garcia concluded as she brought up the locations of all three sights.

JJ felt her heart pound a little harder in her chest. Dr. Gibson was also Henry's pediatrician. The doctor's office was a bit out of the way for her, but he was closer to her parent's house. She figured that if she was out of town and Henry got sick, it would be easier for her parents to take him to that office than one closer to where she lived. Her first thought was of Henry's safety. But then she remembered that their unsub targeted the mother and not the child.

As JJ regained control of herself, she noticed that Reid had already taken the floor. There was now a map on the screen with multiple areas with points attached. "So as you can see, this is the unsub's comfort area. By taking the location of all four women's bodies, the location of the three similarities in their routine, we can deduce the unsub is comfortable with this area, he either lives or works here."

Hotch rose from his seat before addressing the team. "Alright guys, this unsub either frequents or works at one of these three locations. We need to figure out which one. He is most likely a white male, mid-to-late-thirties. He is presumably the product of a single mother household. Something happened to him while he was young that caused him to hate his mother. She almost certainly bore a resemblance to our victims. This man is a loner, too. He doesn't have many friends, but he doesn't appear threatening either. Children think he isn't a threat, he's unassuming and friendly enough; they would be comfortable around him. Likewise, mothers will be comfortable enough to let him around their children. He more than likely doesn't have a criminal background and is the model citizen."

Before Hotch could go any further, Emily spoke up, "I believe he works at the pediatrician's office." As all eyes turned to her in a questioning glance, she continued. "The pediatrician's office is the one place that he is definitely going to encounter all of the women with their children. The bank has a drive-thru, so the women could technically never set foot inside. The grocery store is a place the women could go before they pick the boys up from daycare. The pediatrician's office is the location he is most likely to find these women and get information about them. He would have access to the medical files of the children, find out about their home life, and even obtain their home addresses."

"I agree with Prentiss. Garcia, run a check on every employee currently in that office or any employees that have been let go within the last six months. Something set this guy off and losing his job, which gave him easy access to an endless supply of mothers and children, would definitely be something that set him off. Don't neglect the other two locations though, but concentrate mostly on Dr. Gibson's office," Hotch instructed.

"Yes sir, I'm on it," Garcia stated as she grabbed her belongs and made her way back toward her lab.

Hotch resumed speaking once Garcia was out of the room. "JJ, how much of that press release have you completed?"

JJ looked up from her daze and made eye contact once again with Hotch, "It's done. I just have to change it to include our newest findings."

"Good, go ahead and alter it. Once you're done, call a press conference. Maybe speaking to the public will draw him out or force him to make a mistake. At the very least, we will be alerting potential victims to the danger this man is causing. Emily, you will be releasing a statement on the 5:00pm news tonight. Work with JJ and do whatever you need to do to get prepared for that," Hotch instructed, seemingly oblivious to the obvious tension between the two women.

JJ and Emily responded at the same time, "Yes, sir," and both remained sitting to hear the rest of the instructions.

"Morgan, Reid, Rossi, and I will stay in here to go over this information again. We need to ensure there isn't anything we've missed. We'll be waiting on Garcia's findings."

As the four men gathered around one section of the conference room, JJ and Emily rose from their chairs and made their way towards the door. JJ watched as Emily briskly made her way to her desk to sit down and begin working on something. Choosing to leave the brunette alone for the time being, JJ made her way towards her office to work on the press release. Emily would come to her when she was ready.

**-IF-**

Emily pinched the bridge of her nose as she took a break from staring at the paperwork spread across her desk. It was already 4:15pm and she knew she needed to go talk to JJ about the press release, but she couldn't force her exhausted and apprehensive body to move. She was dreading the interaction that was about to take place. Emily had no idea how JJ was reacting to the news of her sexual orientation. JJ was obviously a very straight woman who didn't appear to have any gay friends. Granted, the topic had never really been breached, but Emily's gay-dar was pretty spot on. She didn't even know if JJ was homophobic or not. But JJ and Garcia finding out about her preference for women wasn't the worst part. The worst part was them finding out her "type" of woman was modeled after JJ. The brunette profiler had never really been into blondes; she had actually preferred the fiery redheads. But the day she met Jennifer Jareau, that changed and there was no going back.

Looking down at her expensive Tag Heuer watch, Emily groaned inwardly when she noticed the time. It was already 4:30pm and she knew she couldn't put off going into JJ's office any longer. She had to give herself at least a little bit of time to prepare for the media sharks. Emily reached the oak door to JJ's office a bit too quickly for her liking. Steeling herself mentally and reinforcing her compartments, Emily wiped her face of emotions and knocked. With a sense of déjà vu as she heard JJ mumble _come in_ from the other side, Emily entered the office for the second time that day. Seeing JJ squinting at the computer with a pen resting in between her teeth and looking as adorable as ever, Emily realized that remaining distant and unconnected was going to be much easier said than done.

Glancing up from her computer screen to take in Emily standing at the entrance to her office, JJ immediately recognized the detached look occupying Emily's features. It was the same mask Emily had worn when she first began working in the BAU a few years back. Knowing why the brunette was retreating back into herself didn't make the shock of seeing the old Emily Prentiss any less severe. JJ attempted a warm smile as she began speaking, "Hey Emily, I'm almost done. I've just got to put on a few finishing touches. If you don't mind, you can sit in here with me and wait just a few minutes."

_A smiling JJ is a good sign,_ Emily thought to herself as she made her way to the chair in front of JJ's large mahogany desk. A smiling JJ was also hard to resist, Emily had discovered over the years. Finally finding her voice to respond, Emily replied, "I'm in no rush. As long as I can read it over one time before I go out there, I'll be fine."

JJ heard the way Emily's voice no longer held the same timber of warmth and playful banter that it had displayed earlier this morning. With growing dread, JJ realized that Emily might retreat too far back into her compartments and make it impossible for her to break back through. Deciding that she couldn't think like that, especially while writing a press release, JJ focused once again on the document displayed on her screen. Adding a few final touches, she sent the speech to her printer and turned to retrieve it. Handing the paper over the Emily, the blonde watched as the profiler read over what she had written.

Though she herself wasn't a profiler, JJ sat back in her large desk chair to examine Emily's behavior. Resting her chin in her hand, she noted how the brunette sat rigidly in the seat, with her spine not making contact with the back of chair. This could no doubt be attributed to her formal upbringing because she usually did have exceptional posture, but today it was much more stiff than normal. The posture was giving off a sense that Emily was uncomfortable in JJ's office, which had not been the case since the first day she had arrived. Emily was still clenching and unclenching her jaw, and JJ made a mental note this must be a nervous tick that surfaced when Emily was under extreme amounts of stress.

Before JJ was able to complete her evaluation of Emily, the brunette spoke up, "This sounds good, JJ. Have you already called everyone?"

Snapping out of her daze, JJ responded, "Yeah. We're going to do the conference on the front steps. There is most likely going to be a huge amount of reporters since the case is getting pretty high profile. These reporters are probably going to be pretty vicious, too. They'll be yelling questions at you during and after your statement. We're not answering questions though, so just ignore those and keep going."

"I assumed we were not going to respond to questions," Emily stated.

"Do you know how to field them though? I just don't want you to get too overwhelmed," JJ said as she looked into Emily's eyes for the first time since she had walked into the office. JJ was genuinely concerned for Emily and only wanted to give her a few pointers to help her out.

"Of course I know how to field questions, JJ. You don't grow up as the daughter to a US Ambassador without knowing how to deal with the media," Emily snapped. Even though JJ knew Emily's temper was a part of her defensive mechanisms, it didn't quell the sting that followed the outburst. Seeing the brief look of hurt that flashed through JJ's blue eyes, Emily immediately regretted her statement. JJ was just trying to help her do a job that she was not used to doing. How was JJ supposed to know about Emily's childhood when she had never divulged any of that information voluntarily? The team only knew of Emily's mother being an Ambassador because Elizabeth had come to the BAU for help on a case one time. "I'm sorry, JJ. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just a bit out of sorts today. I shouldn't be taking it out on you."

Knowing that Emily rarely apologized for anything because she was someone who spoke her mind regardless of the consequences, JJ allowed a small smile to grace her features. "It's okay, Em. I understand. We can talk about everything later," JJ replied easily. She was tired of dancing around the elephant that was sitting obnoxiously in the room. But she also knew now was not the time or the place to begin this conversation.

When she heard JJ's use of her shortened name, Emily's compartments cracked just a bit. Maybe everything would be fine after all. Knowing that now, however, was not the time to bring up the discussion that both women knew they needed to have, Emily rose from her seat to make her way towards the door. She knew Hotch had forbid JJ from being anywhere near the press conference. As she turned slightly to glance at the blonde once more, Emily allowed a ghost of a smile to dance across her strong features. "Wish me luck," Emily requested quietly before stepping out into the hallway.

JJ watched as Emily's back retreated quickly from her view. She wanted nothing more than to be present at the press release, at least for moral support for Emily. She also knew that Hotch would murder her with his bare hands if he caught her anywhere close to the front steps of the building while the conference was going on. After Emily was out of ear shot, JJ finally responded, "Good luck, Emily Prentiss." She smiled mischievously to herself though, for she knew she was not wishing the brunette luck on the press conference she was about to give, but she was actually wishing the brunette luck on resisting JJ's fight for her guarded heart.

**-IF-**

**A/N: I just wanted to tell you that I have the next chapter written and ready to go. Your response to this chapter is going to determine where I take the next chapter. So please tell me what you all think so I can edit chapter 5 and get it up within the next 2 or 3 days. Hope you are enjoying the story so far!**


	5. Press Release

**A/N: I have the best reviewers in the world! Keep it up guys! Keeps me in good spirits! **

**A/N: At the end!**

**-IF-**

Emily wiped her damp palms on the top of her pant legs. She was normally quite composed when she knew she would be speaking in front of a large crowd of people. But today was different. Today she was doing JJ's job. JJ was exceptional at being the BAU's media liaison, almost as though she were made for the job. While Emily had her fair share of public speeches and appearances thanks to her mother, she had never had to compare herself to someone as excellent as JJ, who did this on a daily basis. Add that to the fact that she was already having an awful day, Emily was more nervous than she had ever been before talking in public.

Feeling a presence lingering close behind her, Emily turned to find Morgan walking into the lobby of building. The two profilers could see the ocean of reporters that had already assembled on the stairs. When Morgan reached her side, Emily spoke up, "How does JJ do this every day?"

Morgan chuckled slightly before responding, "The same way you profile murders, interview families, and put yourself into life or death situations every day. It's her job."

"Well, I now have a bit more respect for her. I thought I wouldn't have a problem with this because of my experience with my mother, but speaking in front of a room full of rich charity donors is a lot different than speaking in front of carnivorous reporters," Emily said shakily.

"Lighten up Prentiss. I'll be there on stage with you. You'll be fine. Just read your little piece of paper and then head back inside. Nothing to it," he reassured.

"Easy for you to say, Morgan. All you have to do is stand there and look pretty," Emily shot back quickly.

"Well, we all know I'm good at that," Morgan replied just as fast. He knew the playful banter was helping to calm Emily's frazzled nerves. Not just nerves for the press conference, but nerves about her situation with JJ and Garcia from this afternoon. He knew he would need to speak with her about that later, but right now, she had a press conference to give, "We should probably head out there."

Morgan watched as Emily tucked her nerves away into one of her infamous compartments and braced herself for the onslaught awaiting her. If he didn't know any better, he would not believe that the woman standing next to him had been a nervous wreck ten seconds before hand. Now Emily stood confidently at his side with her back straight and a determined gleam shining in her deep brown eyes. Morgan was the first to step through the doors with Emily following a close second. Hotch, Rossi, and Reid were already standing to the sides of the podium waiting for Emily.

Emily walked with poise to the podium where her speech laid waiting for her. With a final glance out into the crowd to try and pinpoint any suspicious behavior, Emily looked down to begin reading what JJ had written. She knew she needed to leave the crowd scanning to the four men. "As you are all aware, there is a serial killer at large in DC. He is targeting a specific type of victim which includes blonde haired, blue eyed women who are single mothers. These women are most likely estranged from their families and have nothing to do with their children's father. There have been four women found to date, each went missing on a Wednesday night and was found murdered on a Friday near the Potomac River. The man we are searching for is a white male in his mid-to-late thirties. He would be unassuming and an unlikely threat. He fits into society well and would even make you feel comfortable to be in his presence. If you have any information regarding what I have addressed today, please call the number on your screen. That number is (202) 214-1431. Thank you for your time."

As Emily finished her statement, she glanced back into the crowd. There were questions being hurled at her from every direction, but she knew she couldn't answer any of them. Before she could turn to make her way back inside, Emily made eye contact with a man at the back of the crowd. Although he had a baseball cap pulled down over most of his face, she could still make out some of his features. She realized the man looked vaguely familiar to her, as though she was supposed to remember who he was. But just as quickly as she saw him, the man disappeared into the bustling crowd of people around him. Not knowing who the man was, but knowing he was not a reporter and had no business being at the press conference, Emily knew something wasn't right. Deciding to talk it over with everyone when they got inside, Emily quickly made her way back into the building without giving the reporters a second glance.

**-IF-**

As soon as the team made their way downstairs for the press conference, JJ had made her way towards Garcia's office for the second time that day. The two women were going to watch Emily speak on one of Garcia's computer monitors together. Even though she was positive that Garcia was going to somehow bring up the afternoon's discoveries, JJ knew she didn't want to be alone anymore than she had to be. This case was really starting to get on her nerves with how helpless it made her feel. After both women settled back into their respective chairs, Garcia pulled up the live feed on her computer monitor. The blonde media liaison was sufficiently surprised when Garcia didn't say a word about anything pertaining to Emily. In fact, the computer tech was being unusually quiet this afternoon. Truth be told though, JJ was grateful because she was still trying to figure things out in her head and in her heart. On a subconscious level, JJ knew Garcia understood that and respected the space she needed right now.

JJ watched as Emily made her way out of the building's glass doors towards the podium set up for her. The four men were placed strategically around her as a human shield, just like they would normally do for JJ. The blonde media liaison quickly got over her jealously that Emily was doing her job as she watched the brunette take her place. Emily's proper upbringing was on full display as she stood tall and proud while looking out into the crowd. When she began to read, Emily's speech patterns turned to ones of the most accurate pronunciation and dialect. She actually bordered on having a British accent while her usually relaxed speech became more precise. Her brunette hair shone in the sun's rays glimmering almost a deep red. As Emily finished her speech, hesitated for the briefest of moments, and then headed back inside, JJ realized one thing above all else. JJ realized how incredibly sexy it was to watch Emily do her job.

JJ felt her cheeks flush with the heat of desire. There was a knot of longing buried deep in her stomach and her hands started becoming moist with sweat. Gulping back a sudden rush of lust, JJ composed herself as she and Garcia made their way to the bullpen to meet everyone as the returned from the lobby. This was certainly one emotion she had not expected to encounter while watching the press conference, and because of that, she wasn't quite sure how to handle it. She knew she had to get a grip on herself as she heard the team enter the bullpen as the elevator doors chimed open.

Emily was in the lead as she strolled back into the bullpen with a confident gate. She saw that JJ was sitting on the corner of her desk, as she often did while she was in the room. She also saw that JJ looked a little more flushed than usual because her cheeks were glowing a faint red. "Are you alright, JJ? You seem flustered," Emily asked, worry evident in her voice. Although she was trying to distance herself from the blonde, she couldn't help but be worried that she had somehow ruined the press conference. It had, after all, been her first one with the BAU, and she knew JJ and Garcia had been watching together.

"No, I'm fine. Everything is fine. I'm just tired I guess. You did great by the way, Emily," JJ responded almost too quickly. If she wasn't careful, she was going to draw even more attention to herself and give herself away.

Emily raised her eyebrows in a disbelieving look. Even though there was an unspoken rule that the team wouldn't profile each other, Emily couldn't help herself. Besides, should she be held accountable that JJ was like an open book to her, even when she was wearing her media liaison face? After a beat of silence, Emily replied drawing out one word to emphasize her disbelief of the other woman's proclamation, "Okaaay. Thanks."

Emily took her seat behind her desk after the awkward exchange with the blonde agent. At this moment, it was nearly impossible to keep her eyes from travelling over JJ's body that was still currently perched on the edge of her desk. Finally, after mentally stabilizing her wish to drink in every bit of JJ, Emily turned her attention to the other profilers in the room. She was the first to bring up the press conference. "I think I recognized someone after I finished speaking."

Morgan quickly responded, "Yeah, me too. The guy in the back? With the baseball cap and hoodie?"

Emily nodded her head as she confirmed Morgan's description, "Yeah, that's the one. Did anyone else see him?" Looking around at all the people present, they all nodded their heads except for Rossi. "Is it a weird coincidence or do we all really know him?"

Reid replied, "I don't believe it was a coincidence. But I also don't believe this man was the unsub. The probability that this man, someone we all recognized and picked out in a crowd, is also the man killing these women is slim to none. Besides, our unsub wouldn't come to a press conference about himself. He doesn't have that kind of personality. He is a loner, so he would actually avoid large crowds if at all possible. Not to mention, this area is far outside of his geographical comfort zone."

Emily nodded her head but said, "Well, does anyone remember where we know this guy from?" After a few ticks of silence, she continued, "Should we be worried?"

Hotch was the one to speak up this time, "I don't think this is anything to worry about. Being that we are always together, there are going to be times when we come across people we all know. This guy just looked suspicious because of the way he was dressed, but in all honesty, this was a public conference. Anyone could have some to watch if they wanted to. It is likely that this is nothing to worry about. But I still want everyone to be on high alert."

Hotch made eye contact with JJ and knew she was about to be upset with what he had to say next. "I still believe that we need to be careful though. Especially you, JJ. Just because we don't think this guy is a threat doesn't mean that he isn't. I want someone to stay with you at all times, even at your house, at the grocery store, or wherever, until we catch this guy. Understood?"

JJ could feel her face growing red with frustration as she listened to Hotch speak. Although she knew this moment was coming, that didn't mean she had to be happy about it.

Hotch continued after he realized that JJ wasn't going to make a verbal protest. "I think we should call it a day. We've done all we can do for now and we're not going to be able to do much else without a proper night's sleep. Everyone needs to go home and meet back here at eight in the morning. Emily, I want you to stay with JJ tonight. We'll all take turns until this case is over, but you will take tonight." Hotch did not get to the position he was in by not being a damn good profiler. He knew that JJ and Emily had feelings for each other. He also knew that something had happened this afternoon to make them walk on egg shells around one another. He was silently rooting for the two to be together, so he made the decision to force them to spend time together tonight, in the hopes that they would work out whatever it was that was causing this awkward rift between them.

Emily felt her entire body tense as soon as the words left Hotch's mouth. This was certainly the last thing she wanted. The brunette had wanted to go home and drink another glass of red wine in her hot tub while she pulled her thoughts out of her compartments to analyze how to proceed from here. She needed time to come up with a suitable course of action to take with the blonde media liaison still currently perched on the corner of her desk. But now she was going to get an awful night sleep on an uncomfortable couch with her emotions still tightly locked away in their respective chambers.

JJ sucked in a breath as she realized what had just happened. Emily was going to be at her house tonight. She knew she wanted to talk to the brunette, that it needed to be done, but she also knew that she wanted at least one night to process things before she proceeded. Swallowing to try and quench her dry throat, JJ turned and looked deep into Emily's eyes. The barriers she saw that shined back into her blue orbs tore at her heart. It was going to be a long talk, and most likely a longer night.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Okay so I know it's a bit shorter than normal, but I wanted to get this out there. I already have most of the next chapter done. I just need to finish it and get it to my beta to edit. By the way, next chapter you get to see some Henry! Just a little teaser. Please review to let me know what you thought. I try to respond to everyone who has a fanfic account. I need your support to keep me writing into the wee hours of the morning! Thanks again! **


	6. Game On

**A/N: I hope this was quick enough. I hope to have the next chapter up sometime over the weekend or by early next week!**

**A/N: Thanks to my fantastic beta Melissa! I've been working you hard, I know, but you've been amazing! THANKS!**

**-IF-**

Snapping out of her daze almost as quickly as she had entered it, Emily tore her brown eyes away from JJ's penetrating blue ones to stare at anything else in the room. After a few moments of being oblivious to all else surrounding her, Emily became conscious once more when Morgan walked by and slapped her on the shoulder as he would a younger brother. She turned her head to meet his dark gaze and immediately noticed the satisfied smirk and suggestive wink he threw her way. As if this day couldn't get any worse. Emily realized that JJ had retreated back to her office, presumably to collect her things to go home. She wondered momentarily how the blonde had managed to disappear without her noticing.

Knowing she was in the clear for the moment, the profiler turned to respond to her best friend. Glaring at him in much the same fashion as she had earlier on in the day, she began to speak, "You know, I'm in a right mind to murder you, Derek Morgan."

Continuing to smirk happily, Morgan responded, "And why would you do that Prentiss? Then you would have no one to go to for advice on how to win the heart of a certain blonde media liaison."

"Like I would ever take advice from you, the self proclaimed lady's man. Uh! I could just kill you on the spot with all of your little self satisfied smirks, snide remarks and suggestive winks! If you're not careful, you're going to out me," Emily seethed in a soft tone. Although the volume was low, the intent was no less deadly.

"Correction, you've already been out-ed. Oh and news flash, that was all your doing. I think what you mean to say is that I might let on that you're crushing majorly on JJ," Morgan retaliated. Although he used the word "crushing," he honestly got the feeling the brunette profiler had already fallen hard.

Emily's glare grew more dangerous if possible. "I swear to God Morgan, if you don't shut the hell up right now, you'll regret it," letting her threat hang in midair, Emily grew satisfied when Morgan failed to provide a rebuttal.

Just as Emily and Morgan ceased to argue quietly, JJ entered the bullpen. Walking right up to Emily's desk, she spoke, "Alright, well I'm ready when you are Emily." Being a fairly observant person, she could sense that something had just transpired between Emily and Morgan. She also knew that the two were best friends and often engaged in silent conversations, or in this case, silent arguments. JJ could almost sense that Emily just wanted to leave the office as quickly as possible.

Pausing momentarily to gather her wits after her spat with Morgan, Emily responded while gathering her things, "I'm all set to go. We should probably just take my car since yours might be more noticeable if the unsub already has his eye on you," though she wanted to neither insult nor scare JJ, Emily still just wanted to be as safe as possible. "We can swing by and pick Henry up, but then we'll need to go by my condo to grab some clothes. I wasn't expecting to need my go-bag so I stupidly left it at home."

JJ immediately felt awful for the predicament Emily was being put into. She was sure the profiler had been looking forward to staying in her own bed for the night, especially since they had been gone so much lately. "I'm so sorry, Emily. I feel terrible about this. We could just stay at your condo if you would prefer. I've got my go-bag in my office and I can grab some extra clothes for Henry from my parent's house," JJ said. Though she too had been looking forward to staying in her house with Henry, she had also had a little bit less stressful of a day than Emily.

Emily, finally making eye contact with JJ after her offer, saw the genuine concern etched into those blue eyes. She couldn't help but offer a small smile in return. "Its fine, JJ. Please don't worry about it. Henry will be more comfortable at his home as will you. I just need to grab some clothes and I'll be alright. Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing the little tyke," Emily finished trying to change the subject.

With the soft smile still playing on Emily's lush lips, JJ could see an inkling of the old Emily resurfacing at the mentioning of her son. "You and me both, then." Seeing that Emily had finally gathered her things, JJ made the first move to leave while mentioning, "You ready, Freddie?"

Emily's tired smile grew wider as she responded, "Let's go, Joe." The two had adopted Henry's cute saying quickly and easily after he began forcing them to say it. None of the other BAU members were privy to the information, so when the two women shared that moment of childhood playfulness, they felt closer. No one else would understand.

As the two women walked off, they left the team in their wake, watching them leave as though the scene was the most common and natural thing in the world.

Even knowing that tonight was going to be a long night of talking and explaining, Emily still easily and naturally followed JJ to the elevator and out into the parking garage. Standing what would be too close for comfort for most people, JJ felt safer with Emily protectively hovering beside her and a strong hand lying softly in the small of the blonde's back. Although JJ knew Emily was just being the overprotective FBI agent, she couldn't help but drink in the feeling of Emily's hand on her back. She couldn't help but yearn for this simple act of automatic protectiveness to be an everyday occurrence. Instead of breaking apart when they reached Emily's black Range Rover, the profiler surprised JJ by escorting her to the passenger side door and chivalrously opening the door for her. Once JJ was settled contentedly into the passenger seat, Emily shut the door and made her way quickly to the driver side. After climbing into the SUV, backing out of the spot, and driving off, Emily and JJ were quickly on their way. Each woman had but one thought on their mind. They each thought of a smiling four year old boy that held their hearts.

**-IF-**

JJ didn't need to direct Emily on how to get to her parent's house. In fact, Emily somehow even knew a few short cuts that she had yet to learn. The ride was driven in a semi-comfortable silence as the two women listened to a classic rock radio station. JJ could tell that Emily turned the music a touch louder than normal in an effort to prolong the inevitable talk she knew was going to take place. The brunette was unaware that JJ didn't intend to begin that discussion until later tonight, after Henry was safely tucked away in bed.

As the Range Rover pulled up outside the Jareau's house, Emily watched as JJ jumped out of the vehicle almost before it came to a complete stop. The blonde agent all but ran to the front door and fumbled with her key until she finally swung the door open and disappeared inside. Emily grinned softly to herself. She always loved the JJ she got to experience outside of the BAU. She dropped the media liaison persona all together and became a much more enthusiastic, spontaneous and all around loving person. She seemed to still be living in a "daddy's little girl" kind of world.

Emily slowly made her way to the front door wanting to allow JJ to have some time with her son before she was forced to intrude. When she reached the front door, she walked in and shut and locked it behind her. It never hurt to be safe. As she turned to make her way into the living room, the sight that greeted her warmed her heart and chipped at her defenses mercilessly. JJ was standing in the middle of the room with Henry wrapped tightly around her torso. Henry's blonde head was buried deep into JJ's neck taking comfort in the familiar scent. JJ had her eyes shut against the swell of emotions she was experiencing from holding her son for the first time in nearly two weeks.

Emily could see that JJ was whispering something into Henry's ear, but she was too far away to make out exactly what was being said. The sight before her only strengthened her desire to protect JJ. As Emily's own smile grew steadily wider the longer she watch the scene before her play out, she was startled by a deep voice coming from behind her, "It's a sight to behold isn't it? The strength of the love between a mother and a child?"

Knowing now that the man behind her was none other than Richard Jareau, Emily made room for him to stand next to her in the doorway to the living room. "Yes sir, Mr. Jareau. I'd say there is nothing quite like it in the world," Emily responded as she kept her gaze on the mother and son still hugging in the middle of the room.

Little Henry's blonde head snapped up once he heard the other two voices presently in the room. Emily met his blue eyes with her own brown ones the moment he sought her out. The small child was the spitting image of JJ with his blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, button nose, full lips and perpetually flushed cheeks. Emily knew there was not a thing in the world she could deny the young boy when he looked at her with those baby blue eyes. Yes, he truly was the spitting image of his mother.

Once he realized who was in the room with him and his mother, Henry grew overly excited, "Auntie Emmy! Auntie Emmy! You're here!" Henry squirmed in JJ's arms until his mother gave him a final kiss to his blonde hair and placed him back on the ground. The four year old ran across the small living room and launched himself into Emily's waiting arms.

It was now JJ's turn to watch the touching scene unfold in front of her eyes. Henry immediately clung to Emily in the same fashion he had just been clinging to her. He buried his face into Emily's neck to reacquaint himself with her scent as well. Henry had been doing that since he was a baby so JJ assumed it was a form of comfort for him. The small boy threw his arms and legs tightly around Emily's body in an effort to convey how much he truly missed her. But what touched JJ's heart the most was the way Emily responded to Henry. The brunette visibly relaxed into the embrace as she wrapped her own strong arms around Henry's back. She brought one hand up to lie gently on the back of his head, to hold him in place as though she took as much comfort from the contact as the child did.

JJ watched as Emily gently began pulling away from the tight embrace in an effort to make eye contact with Henry. Before the connection could be established, the look that JJ saw in Emily's eyes gave the blonde a renewed sense of hope. Emily was looking at Henry completely unguarded and defenseless with unconditional love radiating from her brown orbs. The blonde knew, in that moment, even though today may have set them back for the time being, that she would fight to one day be on the receiving end of one of those love filled gazes.

Finally gaining the small child's attention, Emily said, "Hey Champ, I've missed you so much." Emily had taken to calling Henry her Little Champion, but had soon shortened it to Champ. She was usually never much of one for nicknames and pet names since she had never had any as a child, but the moment she had laid eyes on Henry as a baby, she couldn't resist.

Henry, being the energetic child he was, began talking ninety miles a minute, "Oh I missed you, too, Auntie Emmy! I have so much to tell you! I got to sit in a real life fire truck! Oh and Mommy bought me a brand new Transformer. I want to show you how it works," with that Henry wriggled free from Emily's firm grasp and ran from the living in search of his new toy.

Knowing it would be a minute before Henry found his toy and came running back, Emily turned her attention to JJ. She knew she was breaking her own rules by lowering her guard so much, but Henry made it impossible to remain impassive and disconnected. Besides, it was her own heart that would pay the price later. The brunette made her way to where JJ sat with her parents talking about what had been going on that day.

As Emily sat on the couch next to JJ, Lisa Jareau addressed her, "Richard and I saw you on television today. We were just telling JJ that she had better be careful or else she's going to be looking for a new career. You did an excellent job."

Not used to being praised for her work, especially in such a motherly tone, Emily was befuddled for a moment. The Ambassador had never been around long enough to either praise or criticize her. Not to mention Emily wasn't expecting to receive praise from JJ's mother at all. "Oh, believe me Mrs. Jareau, JJ has nothing to worry about. Comparing me to JJ is like comparing a rock to a diamond. It just isn't the same."

"Oh nonsense, Emily dear. You did fantastic today. And what have I told you about calling me 'Mrs. Jareau?' I'll have none of that here," Lisa responded.

"I'm sorry, Lisa. It's a hard habit to break, I suppose," Emily answered as she felt her cheeks coloring slightly. She had met the Jareaus on numerous occasions. She had even spent time alone with them. Each and every time, they insisted she stop calling them Mr. and Mrs. Jareau. However, her proper upbringing made that feat nearly impossible.

Sitting back comfortably and watching the exchange between her parents and Emily, JJ felt once again that this was the most natural thing in the world. She simply could not fathom how she had never noticed any of this before today. Before she could dwell any further on the thought, Henry came charging back into the living room with his Power Ranger overnight suitcase in one hand and his Transformer in the other. JJ smiled knowing that Henry was just as excited about going home as she was about taking him there. After dropping his suitcase to the ground, Henry climbed quickly onto the couch to situate himself comfortably in between JJ and Emily.

While the young boy may have started off in the middle of the two women, he almost immediately made his way onto Emily's lap to demonstrate all the features of his new toy. Emily, being preoccupied with Henry, quickly dropped out of the conversation going on between JJ and her parents. She paid full attention to everything Henry was telling her about the Transformer, "And then he turns into a robot like this. See? He was a big truck, but now he is a robot that helps to save the world."

"I see that, Champ," Emily responded as she handed the toy back to Henry and listened as he continued to list the many other features of Optimus Prime.

JJ watched the interaction between Emily and Henry, drinking in every detail as though she was witnessing it for the first time. And in a way, she was. Emily's mannerisms around Henry were not unlike her own. They were very protective and motherly. Henry's back was flush against Emily's chest and the brunette leaned slightly over the boy's shoulder to better view the transformation of the toy. Her hair fell in cascades around the two of them, seemingly secluding them into their own world. JJ saw how Emily's hand was pressed protectively on Henry's stomach to hold him in place, while her other hand attempted to help the blonde child click a small feature into place. The whole scene contained a side of Emily that was never witnessed outside of the presence of Henry. It was a soft a vulnerable side to the usually confident and strong willed profiler.

Even as the blonde agent was talking with her parents, most of her attention was directed at the profiler and her son. Although she should have probably been slightly jealous that her son was so enamored with the brunette when he hadn't seen his own mother for almost two weeks, the only emotion JJ could manage to produce was contentment. Contentment at having her son so happy right next to her and in the lap of her best friend. The same best friend who she was falling hard for. The same best friend that she wanted to become more than just best friends with. This reaction was not lost on her parents. The two had never actually met any of JJ's former lovers. Her excuse being she didn't want to bring someone home that she didn't see herself having a future with. But Emily was different, and the two older adults could sense that. They just needed to make their daughter see that as well.

As the night progressed, everyone remained in the living room just talking and enjoying each other's company. Finally, around 9:30, Henry had tired out and was currently passed on Emily's chest with his Transformer still weakly gripped in his tiny hand. The brunette was gently running her slender fingers through his short, blonde hair and she rested her chin on top of his head. She had her right arm wrapped tightly around Henry's stomach to ensure he stayed snuggly against her chest and didn't fall. Sending a glance towards JJ, Emily silently communicated that they should probably head out soon. They still had to stop at her condo after all.

Nodding softly to indicate she understood JJ rose from the couch and watched as everyone followed suit. "Well Mom, Dad, Emily and I should probably get going. It's been a long few weeks and an even longer day. Besides, Henry is obviously wiped out."

"Okay, well be safe Sweetheart. And we'll plan on you dropping Henry back off tomorrow morning then," Lisa responded reluctantly. She enjoyed when her daughter was able to visit; especially when she brought Emily along because she was so much more carefree and happy with the brunette by her side. But when JJ left and took Emily and Henry with her, the house seemed to feel empty with just her and Richard to occupy it.

JJ's parents walked the two agents to the front door. Emily, being in the lead carrying Henry, began down the walkway first while JJ turned to hug and kiss each of her parents. Before she turned to walk away, her father began speaking to her, "She's really good with him you know."

Knowing her father was referring to Emily and Henry, JJ responded, "Yeah, she really loves him. And he loves her just as much. She'll make a great mother one day."

Grinning knowingly, Richard point out, "She just needs to find the right woman."

Startled by the observation from her father, JJ asked, "How did you know, Daddy? I just found out for sure today!" JJ whispered as loudly as she dared. She didn't want Emily to overhear.

Lisa was the one to speak up this time, "Parents just know Sweetheart. There's no science to it. Besides, we picked up on the subtle clues that we noticed from you before you came out to us."

JJ, not really being surprised that her parents had figured it out well before she had, was still a little perplexed at how they had put two and two together. She decided that now was not the time for this conversation, "We'll talk about this later, when I have more time," JJ promised. She couldn't help but see a sparkle of something similar to mischief dance in her mother's and father's eyes and flash across their faces.

JJ smiled softly as she turned to watch Emily load Henry into the car seat she kept in the back seat of her Range Rover. The blonde remembered fondly the day Emily had purchased the expensive car seat. The brunette had gotten overly annoyed at having to transfer the one car seat JJ had back and forth five times in one day. The very next day, Emily had purchased a top of the line car seat to go in the back of her top of the line SUV. JJ now stood on her parent's porch and watched as Emily gently laid Henry in his seat and got him situated comfortably for the ride to Emily's condo, then home. Once the profiler was sure everything was secure, she tenderly ran a finger down Henry's soft cheek and placed a chaste kiss where her finger lay moments before.

The sight both warmed JJ's heart and also stirred a sense of longing within her. She loved that Emily was so careful and loving with Henry, but she also longed to be on the receiving end of such actions. Giving her parents a final hug and kiss, JJ turned to make her way down the path as well. Just before she was out of ear shot, she heard her father chuckle and say in his trademark gravelly voice, "Go be her 'right woman', Sport." It amazed JJ that her parents seemed to know things before she even acknowledge them. But the obvious blessing from her parents coupled with her childhood nickname from her father, was enough to give JJ the final push she needed. _Tonight_, she thought, _Emily Prentiss will be hard pressed to keep her walls in place._

JJ reached the Range Rover, gave Henry a kiss on his forehead, and climbed into the passenger seat once more. Looking back towards her parents to see them both smirking in the doorway, JJ sent a quick conspiratorial wink their direction. The game was on. And if there was one thing anyone should know about a Jareau, it was that they never lose. Period.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Thanks again to my amazing reviewers! You know who you are. Keep reviewing and let me know what you think. Give me suggestions, predictions, or just general feedback. I love it all! **


	7. Eu Te Amo

**A/N: Okay so please don't hate me! I've been in Brazil for the past month and a half and I didn't have the internet access I thought I was going to have. I promise that I am back to stay now and there will be regular, weekly updates just like before! Hope this chapter is worth the wait though ;) ENJOY!**

**-IF-**

Pulling her SUV into JJ's garage, Emily had never been more ungrateful for a car ride to be over. The trip was ridden in much the same semi-comfortable silence as the trip to the Jareau's house, however this time, Emily knew she was slowly growing closer to being alone with JJ. Despite the overwhelming sense of dread that was currently occupying Emily's body, she still had JJ and Henry's safety at the fore front of her mind. As she put the car in park, Emily turned to the blonde and unconsciously placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Listen, I know you're going to be upset with me for even asking, but just hear me out, okay? Will you please allow me to do a quick check of the house before you and Henry go inside? Please?"

JJ shivered involuntarily at the soft touch from Emily. She was only half listening to what was being asked of her because she was instead focused on the way it felt to have the profiler touch her, as innocent as the gesture was. JJ was about to respond with an automatic "No," but she saw the look in Emily's eyes and she eventually registered what was being asked of her. Emily Prentiss never begged for anything, and here she was, begging JJ to be allowed to check the house to ensure the safety of her and her son. Not having the heart to deny Emily that small satisfaction, JJ simply nodded her head and watched as Emily jumped out of the car and walked up to the door that led inside.

As the brunette approached the door, JJ thought if there was one thing she loved about her job, it was the ability to watch Emily work. The brunette was so focused on the task at hand that she seemed to exude a sense of confidence and control. It was entertaining to watch the profiler switch between the best friend mode and the serious FBI agent mode. JJ had quickly memorized all the small, regular motions that "FBI Emily" had and easily saw them surface now. She tucked any stray hair behind her ear, took a deep breath, licked her lips, straightened her arms, and clenched her jaw. If JJ had been attracted to Emily out in the field chasing down an unsub, the draw was a million times stronger as she watched the brunette execute the same tactics here, at her house, protecting her and her son. The feelings bordered on full-fledged desire. JJ watched as Emily edged up next to the door, drew her gun from its holster, and slowly turned the knob to enter the house The blonde positioned herself more comfortably in the passenger seat to wait for the brunette agent to complete her self-appointed task. With a final glance thrown over her shoulder, Emily disappeared inside.

Even though she knew JJ was waiting impatiently in the car, Emily took her time stalking through the house to check that each room was clear. Normally she would have been done in a few minutes, however, when JJ and Henry's safety were at risk, she double checked each area and finally made her way back towards the garage. Instead of finding JJ still seated safely inside the Range Rover, the blonde was holding Henry in her arms and shutting the door with her hip in a practiced manner. Enraged at the obvious lack of concern for her own safety, Emily all but shouted, "JJ! What are you doing? You were supposed to stay in the car until I came back. What if something happened to you or Henry?"

Being anxious to settle Henry in bed, JJ answered as she started for the door, "Emily, I know that it only takes approximately five minutes to fully clear a house, even by yourself. You took over ten. I know you are being overprotective and besides, I figured if something was wrong, I would have heard gunfire." Being satisfied with her answer, JJ passed through the door leaving a stunned and slightly pissed off Emily in her wake.

Before Emily could force her feet to follow the blonde, she heard JJ yell through the door, "Hey Em, could you grab the bags from the car? Thanks!" JJ smirked to herself, knowing that using the shortened version of Emily's name was a low blow. Wanting so badly to ignore the request, but at the same time knowing she could never deny JJ anything, Emily grabbed all the bags from the car and made her way slowly inside. She needed the time to cool off anyway.

As Emily finally entered the living room, she calmly placed the bags on the floor behind the couch. She knew her temper could, at times, get the better of her. But thankfully, she had never lashed out at JJ. In fact, JJ seemed to have the opposite effect on her. Generally, the blonde sufficiently helped to cool Emily off when she was at risk of losing her steam. However, tonight had been a close call. How was Emily supposed to be able to protect JJ when she so obviously had such a disinterest in her own safety?

Before Emily could dwell on the thought any longer, the blonde walked into the room and addressed her, "Henry wants you to tuck him in." Now only slightly annoyed at JJ for her earlier actions but not able to fully forgive her, Emily left the room with a curt nod and not a word and made her way towards Henry's bedroom upstairs.

Henry's room, just at the top of the staircase, was decorated in a sports theme. Although the main sport on display was soccer, obviously JJ's doing, there were still footballs, baseballs, hockey pucks, and other paraphernalia plastered all over the place. Henry actually favored soccer as well. It was just yet another way he took after his mother.

When Emily entered the room, she saw that Henry was sitting up waiting for her. As she walked over the bed, she bent down and picked up the penguin stuffed animal she had bought for him a few weeks before. When she reached him, and sat down on his bed, the small boy finally lay back down as he reached out to take the penguin from Emily's hands. As she settled on the edge, Emily began, "Oi meu filho." The brunette profiler spoke to Henry in her first language, Portuguese. She knew six languages all together since she had grown up around the world with her parents, but being that her grandmother was from Brazil, she had spent more time there than in American while growing up. She had even been taught Portuguese before English.

Henry giggled easily as he responded, "In English Aunt Emmy. You know I can't understand Porch-gesse!"

It never failed to impress Emily at how smart Henry was turning out to be. What other four year old could remember which language she was speaking. Especially since Emily often mixed it up between Portuguese, French, Spanish and Italian. "Oh I know, but I have to keep you on your toes," Emily responded as she tapped Henry playfully on his nose.

After a moment of silence, Henry began speaking again, "I don't want you to leave Aunt Emmy. Every time I go to sleep and you tuck me in, you're never here in the morning."

Feeling her heart clench at his innocent admission, Emily was quick to respond, "I know Champ. But this time, I promise to be here when you wake up. I'll even make your favorite for breakfast. How does that sound?"

Henry's eyes immediately grew larger at the prospect of not only eating his favorite breakfast meal, but also of Emily being there when he woke up, "Really? You promise to make double chocolate chip pancakes and bacon with chocolate milk?"

Henry's excitement was always contagious as Emily found herself smiling freely as she started to run her fingers through his silky blonde hair for the second time that night. "Yes Buddy, I promise."

Just as quickly as he grew excited, Henry grew just as somber, "And you promise that you'll be here when I wake up?"

Sighing softly to herself, Emily knew that Henry hated seeing her go as much as she hated to leave. The young boy was growing up with no father and a mother who had to travel almost every week. And Emily was not much better, having to not only travel for work, but also be available for her mother's needs. Of course the child was going to have severe abandonment issues. "Yes Henry, I promise."

"Cross your heart?"

"Cross my heart, pinky promise, sealed with a kiss," Emily grinned as she made eye contact with Henry, grabbed his pinky finger with hers and pulled their hands to her mouth to kiss them. The gesture seemed to satisfy Henry as Emily watched a small smile fight its way onto his face. Wanting to steer the conversation away from the serious topic, Emily said, "But you have to go to sleep so that you can hurry and wake up and eat some of my famous pancakes," Emily encouraged as she slowly started to rise from her perch on the side of his bed.

Without even acknowledging her statement, Henry quickly called out, "Wait Aunt Emmy! You didn't give me a goodnight kiss."

Berating herself for forgetting the nightly routine, Emily bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Henry's small forehead. She then moved down to rub her nose playfully against Henry's in an "Eskimo Kiss" as he had informed her it was called. She tucked the penguin tightly beside the boy as she pulled the covers taunt to just below his chin. After completing the ritual, and with a final kiss to Henry's forehead, Emily whispered, "Goodnight Champ."

As Emily was walking out of the room, she heard Henry say, "Goodnight Aunt Emmy. I love you with my whole heart."

Turning around to stare into Henry's blue eyes that were so much like his mother's, Emily replied, "Eu te amo também, Henry. Com todo meu coração."

**-IF-**

JJ knew it was wrong to eavesdrop and spy on Emily tucking Henry in. But how could she resist? Emily was never more open and vulnerable than when she was with Henry. Who could fault her for wanting to observe how the profiler acted around Henry when she didn't think anyone was around? Besides, it was too tempting an invitation. Although Emily had tucked Henry in on many occasions, JJ had never intruded on their time together. She knew it was important to them both. But with the new information she had obtained today, and knowing she was about to force Emily into a conversation she didn't really want to have to begin with, JJ knew she needed some additional ammo.

But what JJ had witnessed was not anything close to what she had been expecting. She was quite aware of Henry's attachment to Emily as a figure in his life. However, she never knew how deep that connection ran. She heard the true fear in his voice as he had questioned Emily on her promise to stay the night. She had also heard the excitement in his voice as Emily promised to make pancakes in the morning. She heard how upset he got when Emily almost forgot to kiss him goodnight. She saw the way Emily so easily kissed his forehead and gave him Eskimo kisses to end the ritual while Henry giggled and basked in the love he was receiving from the brunette. And she heard the way he so easily and truthfully told Emily he loved her, with his whole heart, as he so often told his mother.

But all that interaction she somewhat expected from Henry. Even though he was hard pressed to let anyone into his life because of his fear of abandonment, once someone broke into his world, he loved whole-heartedly. JJ was the same to that effect. However, everything that _Emily_ did surprised her. JJ had no idea that Emily could cook. But that really shouldn't have been much of a shock because the brunette was good at just about everything. But the biggest revelation of all was when Emily told Henry she loved him. The blonde was proficient enough in Spanish and Portuguese to understand that Emily had said she loved Henry too. JJ had never, in her years of friendship with the brunette, heard the word _love_ come out of her mouth. Not even when she was referring to food, a TV show, her car, her job. Nothing. Ever. So to hear those words leave Emily's mouth, JJ was stunned. Stunned and falling harder for Emily than ever before.

While the occasional case came through the BAU that needed a Spanish speaker, that was usually the only other language anyone ever heard Emily speak. They all knew she was fluent in a total of six, but they rarely got to hear her use any but English and Spanish. So to hear Emily speak to Henry is such a beautiful language, it was riveting to listen to. So much so that she almost didn't have time to make it down the stairs and into the living room before she was caught.

JJ quickly placed herself on the couch and began pouring red wine into the two wine glasses she had retrieved before she had gone to spy on Emily and Henry. She needed to get control of herself before Emily came to join her. Just as she was taking her second sip, the brunette walked slowly into the room and sat silently next to JJ. Neither one wanting to be the first to speak, JJ for fear that she would immediately give herself away, and Emily for the sake of prolonging talking about anything, the women sat in a tense silence for a several minutes.

Not being able to stand it anymore, JJ finally spoke up, "Is Henry asleep?

"Just about. He could barely keep his eyes open as I was walking out. I promised him I was going to make breakfast in the morning. If that's alright with you, of course," Emily responded almost too quickly. She hadn't thought of JJ caring or not if she made breakfast before blurting that out to Henry.

Seeing the uncomfortable look settling Emily's eyes, JJ rushed to calm her, "Yeah, that's fine, Emily. If you're not careful though, we'll be expecting breakfast every morning."

As Emily laughed easily at the statement, JJ thought about how beautiful it was the way Emily brightened and transformed as she let loose. After the brunette calmed down, she responded, "Well, I _am_ basically a professionally trained chef after all. Since my mother barely said two words to me growing up and my father was never around, I grew up in the kitchens of the houses we lived in. That was always where the most action and entertainment resided. Eventually, the chefs just started teaching me how to cook. I became addicted. I don't get to cook as much as I would like to now, but I haven't forgotten a thing. Prepare to be amazed tomorrow, JJ, even if it is just double chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and chocolate milk," Emily finished as she finally turned to face the blonde. She was greeted with a wide smile and brilliant blue eyes that instantly took her breath away.

"Well Emily Prentiss, is there anything you can't do?" JJ asked almost flirtatiously Emily noticed.

"Well sure there is. I can't play sports to save my life," the brunette replied as she poured herself some red wine and took a sip out of her own glass. As she grew more comfortable on the couch, she couldn't help but hope that JJ had forgotten about this afternoon. This was shaping up to be a normal night for the two of them.

"Well that's a shame. Especially seeing as how there are plenty of very hot, very lesbian women who play sports,"JJ playful threw out.

_Just kidding_ thought Emily as she sighed heavily and downed the rest of her wine before pouring some more. She was going to need the liquid courage. As she finished pouring her second glass, she finally responded, "And how, pray tell, would you know?" Emily attempted to keep the subject off of herself.

JJ noticed how Emily quickly finished off the first glass of wine and began sipping on another one. Taking a slow sip out of her own glass, she knew tonight was going to be a night of revelations. "Well, you know I have played soccer my entire life." Receiving a quick nod from Emily, JJ continued, "Let's just say, I have come across many soccer players who 'kick for the other team,' if you get my drift. Most, not all mind you, but most, were very attractive."

Sitting on the couch, Emily remained facing JJ. She noticed how there was an unusual twinkle in her normally clear blue eyes. If she wasn't crazy, Emily would almost call it a mischievous glint. "It has been my experience that the lesbians tend to lean more towards softball."

Quick to dismiss that statement, JJ replied, "That is just an over exaggerated and insulting cliché."

Easily recognizing JJ's joking tone, Emily took what JJ said in stride and threw a comment of her own back, "Well, I might just have to make my way down to the local adult league soccer fields and check it out then." Knowing the jokes and banter were about to end, Emily downed the rest of her second glass and went to pour another. _Just one more for good measure_ thought the brunette, reminding herself that she had to be coherent enough to work in the morning.

Noting that the normally perceptive profiler had not caught the obvious clue in her previous statement about clichés, JJ recognized that Emily was quite clearly distracted beyond normal measures. JJ watched aptly as Emily swirled the wine in her glass with practiced ease and took the first sip of her third glass. Yes, obviously distracted. Waiting until she knew she had the brunette's full attention, JJ moved on to what she really wanted to talk about. Before she began, she reached over and placed a comforting hand on Emily's forearm and squeezed gently. JJ hoped that Emily had consumed enough wine to break down, or at least weaken, some of her walls. But looking into those deep brown pools, the blonde knew that it would take more than a few glasses of wine to rattle the brunette. JJ made sure to keep eye contact with Emily as she began, "Em, why didn't you ever tell me?"

Realizing that the joking was done quicker than she had hoped as JJ used her shortened name, Emily broke eye contact with the blonde as she took a deep and shuddering breath. It didn't help her ability to think when JJ was so close, looking into her eyes, and touching her in such a comforting way. She was never one to get nervous for anything in the world. Not even when facing the infamous Ambassador or a psychopathic serial killer. But when she knew she had to answer to JJ and possibly lose her and Henry forever, there was nothing more nerve wracking to her. Finally gaining the courage to speak, Emily said, "I don't know JJ. You know how private of a person I am, to a fault really. That mostly comes from necessity throughout my childhood. So I never told you, or anyone for that matter. But we became friends, then best friends, and it just never felt right. It finally got to the point where I had waited too long. I didn't want you to be mad at me for never telling you, to feel betrayed, or even to feel like you couldn't trust me anymore." Looking up to make eye contact again, Emily continued, "I couldn't risk losing you or Henry. So I never told you. I would rather live a lie than to not have you and Henry in my life."

JJ saw the normally strong walls waiver as Emily made eye contact with her. At least now she knew the truth. The last statement really struck home with the blonde. If there was any doubt about Emily's devotion to her and her son, it had been cleared up in one sentence. "Emily, you could never, and I mean never, lose us. Henry loves you so much, almost as though you're a second mother to him. You are my closest friend. Your sexual preference makes no difference to me. Give me some credit here, Kid," JJ said as she smiled warmly at Emily. She knew Emily found it funny when she called the brunette "kid" considering Emily was quite a bit older than herself. Not quiet finished with what she had to say, JJ quickly persisted, "Besides, I think on some level, I always knew."

Emily knew she had been careful during her time at work and around JJ, so she was curious to see how exactly the blonde had figured it out, "How? I was under the impression I never let on about anything in regards to my sexuality. "

JJ chuckled slightly, more to herself than anything else, and started, "Oh, come _on_ Emily! It's not like you scream, 'Girly Girl.' You're very professional and careful, true. But I think I just have an exceptionally honed gay-dar," JJ finished as the glint returned to her blue eyes.

Emily smiled softly as she looked down into her wine glass. After a moment of silence, she replied, "You know, for someone who isn't a profiler, you're pretty damn good."

JJ huffed silently to herself as she realized Emily had missed yet another self-directed implication of her own sexuality. Coming out to Emily was proving to be more difficult than she had anticipated. She was beginning to think she was going to have to wiggle the bait right in front of the profiler's face.

Emily paused for another long sip before continuing, "JJ, I don't understand how you are being so calm about this. I mean, aren't you even upset about how you found out? You seemed pretty mad at the office," Emily ventured. She was still curious about JJ's reaction from this afternoon.

JJ fought and just barely won the battle against the blush she could feel trying to spread across her face and neck. She was still upset about allowing the jealous rage to consume her that afternoon. Not wanting to draw attention to herself for taking too long to answer, JJ rushed to respond, "Oh that? Well, I think I was just slightly in shock. I don't do well with surprises that don't include birthday cakes or anniversaries. I just needed some time to think it out. Besides, I figured you were in a much harder place than I was, so I am just trying to be the sympathetic and understanding friend for you. I want you to know that you can always come to me with anything, and I hope this proves it. I don't want you to feel like you have to hide anything from me again. I will _always_ be here for you, no matter what."

Emily glanced down into her wine glass once more. The intensity with which JJ's eyes were boring into her own was too much to handle. She knew she needed to respond and say something to JJ, but she had never been good with emotions and conversations that fed off of them. It was times like these that she would stuff the situation into one of her compartments and ignore what was actually happening around her. And so the brunette did just that. "Thanks JJ, that means a lot to me," was all Emily responded as she swirled the remaining few droplets of wine before swallowing them. She knew JJ could tell the walls were back in place at full strength, but at this moment, she didn't care. JJ knew she was gay and was okay with it. End of story. There was no need for further discussion on the topic.

With nothing further to contribute, Emily fell into a silent state while JJ pondered how far she should take the conversation. She saw the exact moment that barriers had gone back up around Emily's heart, so she knew she needed something drastic to get through to the profiler. The media liaison quickly decided that she was never going to have another opportunity more perfect than right now to go as deep as she had always craved to go. After a few minutes of awkward silence with Emily praying the night would end quickly and JJ pondering what to say next, the blonde finally continued, pretending she didn't notice that Emily had completely shut down emotionally, "You know what the funniest part about the whole situation is to me? Even though I just found out about you today, my parents told me tonight that they have known this whole time."

Watching as the realization of what that meant registered with the profiler, JJ waited for Emily's reaction. "_WHAT?" _When did they even tell you? I was with you the whole night!" JJ simply looked at her for a moment before it dawned on Emily when the three Jareaus had their meeting. "It was when I was buckling Henry in wasn't it?" Receiving a nod from the blonde, she cursed at how much worse this day had just gotten, "Shit, how did they even figure it out? I'm around them a lot less than I am with you."

This was the question JJ had been steering towards. She knew Emily was completely shut off from any and all emotions. She could see the walls strongly build in those brown eyes. She also knew that it would take something drastic to even come close to being let in, at least a little bit. So she knew this was the moment she would have to reveal her own sexual preference to Emily. If she didn't tell Emily now, there would most likely never be another moment more perfect. JJ watched as Emily set her wine glass on the table and then she began, "I'm not sure to be honest. They said something about picking up on the subtle clues I gave off before I came out to them."

JJ watched as Emily registered what she has just revealed. As the brunette brought her brown eyes to meet the clear blue ones of the blonde, JJ realized that her statement was not quite having the desired effect on Emily. Granted, she wasn't quite sure what reaction she was expecting from the profiler, but a blank stare that showcased her walls and barriers quickly being strengthened and solidified was not what had come to mind. Being so shocked at the unexpected effect from her words, JJ had no clue how to proceed. So the two women sat in a stunned silence and stared into each other's eyes.

Emily was the first to break the strong eye contact when she softly shook her head in a stunned shock. She slowly rose from the couch to pace back and forth in from of the coffee table. She couldn't possibly sit next to JJ at the moment and think clearly. Today had certainly been a day of revelations. Not only had her best friend found out she was gay, but she had just found out that same best friend was also gay. It wasn't the confession that had Emily pacing and avoiding eye contact with the blonde. It was the fact that this was her dream come true. She had always imagined what it would be like, what she would do, if JJ was gay. But never, in a million years, had she ever thought it would actually come to pass. So instead of addressing the situation as she had imagined she would, Emily shut down even more. She silently paced back and forth, clenching and unclenching her jaw, and chewing on her nails. She had dropped the bad habit years ago, but she was much too overwhelmed at the moment to even realize what she was doing.

Not being able to stand the deafening silence that had fallen over the room, JJ spoke while her eyes followed Emily's every move, "Emily, please. Just say something."

Without breaking stride, Emily responded monotonously, "What do you want me to say JJ?"

Hearing the lack of inflection in Emily's voice, JJ wasn't sure what the brunette was feeling. Damn her compartments. "I don't know, Emily. Anything. Yell at me, be mad at me, cry, scream, laugh, I don't care. But don't shut me out, please."

As soon as she heard the desperation in the blonde's voice, Emily stopped her pacing and made eye contact before speaking, "I could never be mad at you about this, JJ. You know that. I'm certainly not upset, and I want to neither cry nor laugh. You know this is how I deal with things. You, more so than anyone else in the world, understand that. I'm not shutting you out, I just have to process this."

Bowing her head dejectedly, JJ responded, "I'm sorry to spring this on you. It probably wasn't the wisest thing I've ever done. I know you've had a long and stressful day. And I know you hate conversations like this. But I just didn't want to wait any longer to tell you because I feared that I would not be able to bring it up in the future."

As Emily realized that JJ was beating herself up over the situation, she felt the overwhelming need to comfort the blonde and explain things a little. She felt that she should at least attempt to talk things out. So after making sure her barriers could withstand anything, the brunette made her way to the couch once more. As she seated herself next to JJ again, she reached over and grabbed the small woman's tiny hand and laced their fingers together in an act of peace. Once Emily was sure she had JJ's attention, she began, "JJ, you did nothing wrong. I'm so glad you told me because it certainly makes me feel a lot better. I guess I just don't understand. I know you mentioned your gay-dar earlier, but I can tell you that mine is almost always spot on. But I never, _ever_ got any vibe from you. I think part of that came from the fact that you have Henry," Emily finished as she squeezed JJ's hand reassuringly.

With an understanding of what Emily was asking without actually saying the words, JJ hurriedly responded to her inquiry, "Henry is the pride and joy of my life. I will never, ever regret how he got here. But, I don't know who his father is. One night, a few of my soccer friends took me out for my birthday on our old stomping grounds at Penn State. You've actually met them before. Do you remember Julie, Kaylin, and Nicki?"

Emily slowly nodded her head because she did remember them, quite vividly actually. The three of them had tagged along when the team had gone to a local bar to celebrate JJ's birthday two years ago. Emily remembered Kaylin most of all. The girl gave off a very strong "gay" vibe considering she hit on Emily quite openly when the two had gone to the bar to get the next round for everyone. To say the girl was gorgeous would be an understatement. She had long brown hair, a built physique, and intelligent green eyes that noticed everything. But Emily had already fallen hard for JJ by that point and was not the least bit interested in her friend. Realizing she was taking a while to respond, Emily quickly nodded her head to indicate that she did indeed remember the girls.

After receiving confirmation from Emily, JJ continued, "Well, we all know tequila is both my weakness and my downfall. I started doing shots, and before I know it, the girls are daring me to pick a guy and basically be 'straight' all night," JJ paused briefly to gauge Emily's mood at the moment. She could tell that Emily was aptly listening to every word that came out of her mouth. "Well anyway, I could never turn down a dare from those girls, so I picked the hottest guy at the bar. We were inseparable all night. The rest of the night turns a bit hazy. All I really remember is that before I know it, I am leaving with this guy in his car and going to his apartment. I stupidly followed because not only had I been getting no action because of our job, but I was apparently morbidly curious about what it was like to sleep with a guy. Well, long story short, nine months later, here is Henry." Before finishing the story, JJ let out a cynical laugh and said, "You know, I couldn't even tell you what he looked like. It was a stupid and reckless night that I will _never_ regret."

Emily nodded her head as JJ finished her story. It did make sense now. If she really thought about it, she realized that JJ never spoke of past relationships just as she never spoke of them. Emily had never pried before because she felt she hadn't much right to considering she never revealed any information about herself either. Looking to her left to see that JJ was watching her every move, Emily provided a soft smile to show that she was not upset.

Seeing the small smile grace Emily's features caused a full-fledged grin to overtake JJ's face. Things were going to be okay. Surprising both herself and Emily, JJ flung herself into the brunette's arms and hugged her fiercely. Closing her eyes against the torrent of emotions that were raging through her, Emily tightened her grip on the blonde.

Pulling back from the embrace, JJ excitedly clasped her hands together and looked into Emily's eyes. She saw the walls just as strong as ever standing guard, but she knew they wouldn't be there for long. JJ began speaking because she wasn't quite ready for the night be over, "Now we can actually talk about our past relationships and not avoid them like the plague." Emily heard the joking tone in the blonde's voice, but her heart immediately sped up in fear of talking about her past. She knew she wasn't quite ready for that. JJ saw the uncertainty spread through Emily's eyes and she instantly knew that it was too soon. Before Emily could try to back pedal out of another deep conversation for the night, JJ spoke up, "But we've had enough excitement for one day, don't you think?"

Sighing gratefully to herself, Emily nodded her head in agreement and responded, "Yeah, it's been quite a day."

Emily watched as JJ rose from the couch and was quick to follow suit. It was always proper to stand as a lady left the room, and truth be told, Emily was quite the gentleman at heart. JJ closed the space between them for another hug, this one not quite as fierce as the previous one. Being about a head shorter than Emily, JJ had to stand on her toes to place a soft kiss on Emily's smooth cheek. Without giving the brunette a chance to really react, the blonde began strolling towards her room as she said, "Good night and sweet dreams, Em."

The slender profiler remained rooted to the spot as she watched the blonde media liaison walk into her bedroom. She certainly hadn't expected the kiss as she realized that JJ had surprised her for the second time that evening. That was one thing she would always appreciate about JJ, she was full of surprises. Life was never dull with the small blonde around.

Emily finally stirred herself enough to sit back down on the couch. She needed to think about everything that had happened today. She hadn't been alone long enough to even begin evaluating what everything meant. The first and foremost thought on her mind was the fact that JJ was also gay. That, in and of itself, was going to take hours to shift through. Granted her dreams could potentially be coming true, but at the same time, all she wanted to do was shield off her heart even more and not succumb to her desires. If life had taught her one thing, it was to never get your hopes up.

Realizing quickly that she was going to be getting no sleep that night, Emily went to the bathroom to change and get ready for an uncomfortable night on the couch. She could stay in the guest room, but it was the furthest from JJ's room. If anything happened, Emily wanted to be right outside JJ's door to protect her. Not just because it was her job as the on duty FBI agent, but also because she protected those she loved. And she loved JJ and Henry more than life itself.

When Emily finished her routine, she settled herself on the couch and stared into the dark at the ceiling. With her mind running ninety miles a minute, Emily accepted that it was going to be a long night.

**-IF-**

**A/N: So I know some of you wanted JJ and Emily to get together in this chapter, but it wasn't realistic and not how I want my story to go. That part comes a little later **** I have some other stuff planned for them before that! **

**A/N: As always, please review! More so this time so that I know you are still with me! **


	8. Top Secret Pancake Recipe

**A/N: Okay guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Another one will hopefully be up by the end of the weekend or early next week : ) As always, thanks a MILLION to my beta Melissa, I couldn't do this without you girl!**

**-IF-**

The blonde woman sat up, panting, with a worried expression gracing her features in the darkened room. Glancing at her alarm clock and seeing it was only 5:34am, JJ realized she hadn't overslept. As the blonde smelled the rich aroma of chocolate chip pancakes and the salty scent of bacon, she concluded that is what had awoken her. Remembering that Emily was treating her and Henry to breakfast, JJ threw on some flannel pajama bottoms over her boy shorts and a hoodie on top of her white tank top. Letting her mind wonder to the brunette profiler again brought all the memories from the previous night flooding to the forefront of her mind. A million and one questions raced through her mind at once, the most important of which being, _Is everything okay today?_ Deciding that the only way to find out was to face the profiler, JJ made her way towards the kitchen.

Before making herself known, JJ stood silently to watch the touching scene in front of her. Henry was standing on his Transformers stool trying to help Emily stir the batter for another batch of pancakes. His hair, now boasting a light dusting of white against his shining blonde, was still sticking up in a wild manner letting JJ know he had just woken up also. Emily finally took pity on the small boy and reach down to easily lift him up onto the counter top next to the bowl. Once Henry was in range of the batter, he immediately took over for Emily.

As JJ stood and watched, she realized that neither Emily nor Henry had said a word the entire time. With that observation, JJ knew Emily had told Henry to stay quiet so his mother could sleep longer than usual. And Henry, always eager to please his 'Aunt Emmy,' had obviously quickly obeyed. Deciding to finally make her presence known, JJ walked into the kitchen and addressed Henry, "Good morning handsome!" The young mother made her way to her son and leaned down to pepper kisses all over his face.

"Mommy, stop it!" Henry grumbled as he agitatedly rubbed the kisses from his small face and began stirring the batter again.

JJ, feigning hurt, responded, "Why are you wiping my kisses off? Don't you want them anymore?"

Henry huffed a small exasperated sigh and looked into his mother's eyes, "Yes Mommy, I still want your kisses. But wight now I pwomised Aunt Emmy that I would be her helper and I can't help her when you are kissing me." Satisfied with his answer, although he thought it was obvious and he shouldn't have had to explain himself, Henry began stirring the batter for the third time that morning, but with a renewed sense of purpose. He would not let down his Aunt Emmy.

While the interaction was taking place between mother and son, Emily silently went to stand to the side. She knew the pair had been getting little time to be together and she didn't want to intrude on what precious moments they were able to steal. With the excuse of making more bacon, Emily turned toward the stove and began frying some more strips.

Hearing the popping of the bacon, JJ turned around to face Emily. Knowing the brunette was most likely still reeling from the day she had yesterday, JJ gently started a conversation, "It smells delectable in here Emily. I can't wait to dig in."

Turning to face JJ, Emily saw that the blonde looked more rested than she had in weeks. Her blue eyes were shining in a well rested way and the bags beneath had all but vanished. Providing a soft smile, Emily murmured, "Thanks, I do what I can," before turning back to her task. She wasn't really used to cooking for people, and she certainly wasn't used to much praise.

When Emily had turned to face JJ, the blonde realized the other woman looked a little worse for the wear. The black circles beneath her eyes were more prominent than they had been previously, and the tight lipped smile seemed to showcase that she was still compartmentalizing everything. And even though Emily appeared fatigued, she still had every wall and barrier firmly in place and shining behind her deep brown eyes. All in all, JJ could tell that Emily had slept very little, if at all, the night before. She, on the other hand, had gotten the best night of sleep she had had in a long while. If she really thought about why, she would probably want to chalk it up to getting her 'big bad secret' out in the open with her best friend, but truth be told, she knew deep down that she actually felt safer and more secure knowing Emily was just in the next room.

Upon understanding that Emily was essentially exhausted, JJ moved closer to the brunette, keeping an eye on Henry to ensure he didn't fall, and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help? I could finish up if you'd like."

Knowing that JJ was reading her like an open book, Emily forced herself to lighten up a little and act as though she weren't about to fall over with exhaustion. "No JJ, please just sit down and enjoy having a meal cooked for you. Besides, I already recruited an assistant, right Henry?" Emily finished sending a warm smile towards the boy still stirring his batter.

"Wight Aunt Emmy!" Henry responded in the enthusiastic manner only a 4 year old could possess at 5:45 in the morning. "Besides Mommy, you aren't a'pposed to be awake yet. Me and Aunt Emmy were gonna bwing you bweakfast in bed, but you woke up."

"Well sorry to burst your bubble buddy, but the aroma wafting from this kitchen and into my bedroom woke my stomach up who in turn woke me up. Maybe the two of you shouldn't be such good breakfast chefs," JJ joked as she made her way towards the kitchen table located in the bay window area. "But if you two insist, I'll sit here and wait." Seeing Emily smile a real, warm smile, JJ sat down in her usual seat at the head of the table.

And wait she did. For the next fifteen minutes, JJ watched as Emily made a gourmet breakfast out of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. She looked on as Emily flipped the pancakes with practiced ease and then expertly tossed them onto a plate being held by Henry as the small boy giggled freely. He was completely enthralled with the way Emily could toss around the food and make it look easy all without dropping a single item. As JJ watched Emily and Henry chuckle and cut up, occasionally sneaking a couple of chocolate chips into their waiting mouths, she felt an unfamiliar warmth spread throughout her body. She couldn't shake the feeling that this is what it would be like to have a real family. And she knew that this is what it would be like to have a family with Emily. With shocking clarity, she realized she wanted this to be a daily occurrence…with Emily. She wanted that idyllic family…with Emily.

Finishing the last pancake, Emily dramatically tossed it high in the air and smiled wide when she saw it land perfectly on the stack of other pancakes on the plate in Henry's hands. She loved cooking and had been missing it a great deal as of late. After helping Henry down off the kitchen counter, she turned to take the food and drinks to the table where JJ was already sitting. As Henry placed the pancakes on the table and she placed the drinks and bacon after him, she saw that JJ was completely not paying attention.

As Henry quickly climbed into his chair with a booster seat, Emily kneeled down in front of JJ to gain her attention. "Hey, Earth to JJ. Where'd you go off to?"

Swiftly focusing her blue eyes on the light brown ones right in front of her, JJ felt her face redden at being caught daydreaming. With a slightly embarrassed grin, JJ responded, "Oh sorry! I was just thinking about the case and all."

Emily was a profiler, and damn good one at that. So she knew that JJ was not even close to thinking about the case these last few minutes. If she had been, then the blonde would not have blushed such a deep shade of red and wouldn't have given Emily her typical 'I've been caught' face. But knowing that JJ wasn't going to tell the truth about what had been running through her mind, Emily rose from her spot and went to sit at the other end of the table. As she reached her side, she glance over at JJ once more to the see the blush still firmly in place. There was definitely nothing case related going through that head of hers.

Focusing instead on serving breakfast, Emily spoke as she distributed pancakes for everyone, "Right JJ. Well anyway, this is actually a secret recipe, passed down from generation to generation of chefs in Italy. Prepared to be amazed."

"Yeah Mommy! It's a secwet recipe. The only people that know how to make these pancake in Amewica is me and Aunt Emmy. Wight Aunt Emmy?" Henry responded enthusiastically. He was overjoyed that Emily had shared the secret recipe with him. He was even more excited at the prospect that no one else in the United States knew how to make these specific pancakes.

Emily cracked a genuine smile as she looked at Henry and then across at JJ as she handed the other woman a plate piled high with pancakes and bacon. "That's right Champ. Only you and I know how to make these pancakes. But what did I tell you? No matter how hard your Mommy tries to get the secret from you, you cannot let her have it. Even if she tickles you for hours and hours, you have to hold strong."

"I pinky pwomise that my lips are sealed!" Henry stated excitedly as he took his first bite of pancakes drenched in syrup. Emily had already prepared his pancakes and had even cut them up for him so that JJ wouldn't have to do it.

Once Henry began eating, his focus shifted to his food and he lost interest in talking all together. This gave JJ the opportunity to join in the banter, "So tell me Emily, how many of these all famous Italian chefs use Bisquick Instant Pancake Batter to make these delicious pancakes?"

Emily glanced over her shoulder to where the evidence sat clearly displayed on the counter top. Feeling the need to defend herself, Emily responded, "That is just a diversion to throw you off. I could hardly leave the actual ingredients lying around. Then you could very easy deduce what went into making this scrumptious breakfast meal. Should that happen, I would unfortunately have to kill you, and I just don't have the energy or the time to find another best friend. Thus the diversion was the next best option. I'm really doing this to protect you JJ," Emily finished as she finally sat down with her own plate to eat and a playful smirk on her face.

"Well I guess I should thank you then. I was unaware of how much you put into _not_ letting me find out the secret recipe. We'd hardly want you to have to kill me just from knowing," JJ replied as she lifted the first bite to her mouth. The moment she put the bite into her mouth, her blue eyes rolled back into her head and she let out a throaty moan. "Em, these are the most delicious pancakes I have ever tasted!" JJ said as she rapidly took another bite. She immediately knew, just from the second bite, that there was actually something more in the pancakes than the normal recipe she used. And she somehow knew that she would most likely never find out what it was.

Emily slightly choked on her bite when she heard JJ moan. Couple that with the fact that JJ had used Emily's shortened name and the brunette profiler was barely able to think straight. As she finally caught her breath, she was able to mumble a soft "Thank you" before taking another bite. This was almost too much for her. Being here with Henry and JJ, making breakfast, sitting down and eating like a real family. Emily had never had this experience growing up, and now to have it with JJ was overwhelming to say the least.

JJ noticed the slight blush that crept its way onto Emily's golden skin. She somehow knew that the reason the brunette was reacting in such a way was because of the way she had just moaned and said her name. JJ was now aware of the affect using the name 'Em' had on the profiler. She promised right then to begin using it as often as possible. As she continued to take in Emily's appearance, JJ decided that a blushing Emily was definitely something she could get used to seeing a lot more of. After the deep blush yesterday and the slight one ebbing its way onto her face now, JJ knew she would also make it her mission to cause the brunette profiler to blush as much as possible. Quite simply, it was hot.

Before JJ or Emily could say another word, Henry spoke up, "Mommy, aren't you happy that Aunt Emmy stayed? She pwomised she would and she did."

JJ glanced at her son and saw the true happiness shining in his eyes. It continued to amazed her the affect that Emily had on her son. "Yeah buddy, I'm glad she's here, too."

Obviously not done talking about the topic, Henry continued, "Can she live here with us Mommy? Pwease?"

Although slightly shocked at the seemingly random direction of conversation, JJ didn't let it show. She knew it wasn't an option, but just hated to break poor Henry's heart knowing how much he actually wanted Emily around. Especially seeing that he was so happy at the moment and she knew that was in large part to the time he had spent with Emily that morning. "Henry, Emily has her own house. You've been there and I know you love going to visit her. She doesn't want to move in with us," JJ finished sadly. Honestly, she was on the same page as Henry. She would love for Emily to live with the two of them. She would even be okay if Emily just lived closer to them, instead of nearly thirty minutes away.

Henry, being the stubborn four year old he was, persisted, "But Mommy, we got an extra woom and everything. I would even let Aunt Emmy have my bedwoom if she wanted it." JJ thought to herself that the stubborn streak was something he was developing from Emily, because she certainly hadn't taught that to him. As she looked at him, she realized he even held the brunette's demeanor and posture during his stubborn streak, much the same as when Emily became immovable on a certain issue. His jaw was set in a firm manner, his shoulders were squared away with impeccable posture and he looked dead into JJ's eyes, daring her to challenge him. Before she could respond, Henry continued, "I just miss her so much when she isn't here. If she lived with us, I wouldn't have to miss her anymore. Don't you miss her Mommy? Don't you love Aunt Emmy, too?"

Emily choked, for the second time that morning she noted, on the coffee she had just been swallowing. She had not expected the morning conversation to veer in this direction. Henry had never acted like this before, and she was curious as to why it was surfacing now. Deciding to come to JJ's rescue so she wouldn't have to answer her son's last few questions, Emily looked at Henry to speak. Before she began, she saw that at the moment he was the spitting image of his mother. His blue eyes were big and shone a bright cerulean, his lips were poked out in a pout that mirrored JJ's when she wanted something and knew she was about to get her way, and his cheeks were slightly flushed in frustration from not getting what he wanted immediately. It was going to be difficult to let the four year old down. "Hey Champ, look at it this way. If I lived here with you and your mother, you and I wouldn't be able to have our top secret treasure hunts, our late night ice cream runs or even our epic hide and seek battles. Remember our rule? No Mommies allowed?" Emily watched as Henry gently nodded his head and then continued, "But you know you can call me whenever you want to. I will try my best to come over, if it's okay with your mother, or you can come stay with me."

"Cwoss your heart Aunt Emmy?" Henry asked sheepishly, hating that he had been denied, in his mind, such a simple request.

"Cross my heart, pinky promise, sealed with a kiss," Emily replied as she once again grabbed Henry's pinky finger with her own and kissed the interlocked pinky fingers all the while keeping direct eye contact with the small boy. "You know I never break a pinky promise. Those are sacred in the Prentiss book."

JJ watched as Emily simply diffused the almost potentially catastrophic situation. Henry, as good as he usually was, sometimes had a tendency to throw large temper tantrums if he didn't get something he really wanted. And by the look in his bright blue eyes, JJ knew Henry had wanted little else as much as he wanted Emily to live with the two of them. But somehow, Emily calmed Henry down in a matter of minutes. JJ wasn't exactly sure how the brunette accomplished such a task, but she was inwardly grateful. JJ knew she would never tire of watching Emily interact with Henry. She remained so open, honest, and loving with him, even when she was so shut out to the rest of the world. That was obvious in the way she so easily smiled at the small boy and calmed him down by performing such an innocent act as a pinky promise.

Seeing that everyone was finished eating, JJ decided to change the topic because she was beginning to have difficulty thinking straight as her desire for the brunette increased with each passing minute, "Well, since everyone is done, why don't we clean up in here and get ready for our day."

Emily rose as JJ did from the table, once again her proper upbringing coming forth. As she stood facing the blonde, she spoke, "You get yourself and Henry ready and I'll clean up in here." Seeing the protest forming on the lush lips, Emily effectively cut JJ off by saying, "It's always been a rule with me that whoever cooks, cleans up." Even though Emily knew that for as long as she could remember, the rule had been whoever cooked, didn't have to clean.

JJ narrowed her eyes at the brunette, knowing good a well that she was lying, but also knowing that there was no arguing with her on some matters. JJ knew that whatever she said and tried to convince Emily of, the brunette would end up somehow winning out in the end. It was better to just save the time and do what Emily wanted. At least in this case. But before either woman could do much of anything, Henry piped up from his seat, "I want Aunt Emmy to get me weady."

JJ was starting to get frustrated with the boy at this point. He rarely acted out, and this morning was becoming a rare occasion where she might have to scold him. She knew though that he was acting out for attention. Not just from her, but from Emily as well. The two had not been around much for the past few weeks, longer for Emily, so she couldn't very well fault him for being a little out of sorts. However, this was starting to push the limits. "Henry, stop being difficult and come along. You need to take a bath before we go to your grandparents' house," JJ stated as she walked over to lift Henry out of his booster seat and to carry him to his bathroom.

Just as she picked the boy up, he began thrashing about and struggling to free himself from his mother's grasp. Unable to hold on any longer, JJ set Henry on the ground. The small child immediately ran towards Emily and wrapped his tiny arms around her legs and began sobbing into them, "Pwease Aunt Emmy. I want you to get me weady. Mommy does it all the time, but you never get me weady. Pwease Aunt Emmy? I pwomise to be a good boy, just like I was this morning."

Laying a sympathetic hand on the child's head, Emily slowly looked up and helplessly into the blue eyes of his mother. The mother had a desperate look on her face showing that she didn't understand what was going on with her son. It was as though he was afraid he would never see Emily again even though he had no reason to feel that way. JJ understood he hadn't seen the brunette for a month, but she was unaware that he was this upset about that fact. If she didn't know any better, she would say that Henry was having separation anxiety.

Letting out an aggravated breath, JJ just nodded her head and spoke, "Its fine Emily. You know where everything is. Just get him ready and get yourself ready. I'll clean up in here and get myself ready afterwards."

JJ watched as Emily lifted the boy easily into her strong arms. She saw the way Henry instantly wrapped his tiny arms tightly around her neck and lay his small head in the crook of the brunette's neck. Only taking her eyes off the two when they disappeared into the darkness of the hallway, JJ turned to clean the kitchen.

Emily made her way up the stairs and into Henry's bathroom across from his bedroom. Once she was sure they were alone, she pried the boy off of her and set him softly on the ground. Sinking down to her knees to get on his level, she finally addressed Henry, "Hey Champ, what's the matter with you today? Why didn't you want your Mother to get you ready this morning? I know she's been missing you these last few weeks. I think you may have hurt her feelings."

Looking at Emily with his pleading blue eyes, Henry responded, "I didn't mean to hurt her feelings, I just miss you too Aunt Emmy. I have not seen you for longer than I have not seen Mommy. I'm afwaid you're going to go away for a long time again. I don't like it when you do that."

Emily's heart skipped a beat as Henry's confession hit her. She had no idea her absence was affecting the boy as much as it was. But she was quick to respond when she saw tears starting to form and slide down his small face. Reaching up to gently wipe away his tears, Emily responded, "I can't promise that there won't be times that I have to be away for a long time. But I can promise that I will try to call more often to talk to you. Is that a fair trade Champ?"

With his face still cupped in between Emily's soft hands, Henry nodded his head and sniffled while replying, "I guess it will have to do."

Chuckling silently to herself at how grown up Henry sounded, she lightly kissed his forehead before raising from her crouched position. "We have a deal then," Emily said as she went about getting the bath ready for the four year old currently going on forty.

The rest of the morning went off without a hitch. JJ and Emily both managed to get ready and have Henry and the kitchen cleaned properly in plenty of time. As the two women sat in Emily's Range Rover driving towards the Jareau's house, they each seemed lost in their own thoughts. Henry had fallen asleep in his car seat while staring out of the window, so the car was relatively silent save for the soft music of the Rat Pack sounding through the speaker system. Both women knew there was still a lot to talk about, but they also knew it wasn't a conversation to have right before work. And so the comfortable silence remained until they reached the Jareau's house to drop Henry off, and even until they made it to the BAU.

As the agents pulled into the parking garage, JJ easily recognized FBI Emily make her appearance. Instead of feeling upset that their time away from work was over, she simply jumped into her media liaison mode and climbed out of the SUV to follow Emily into the building. But she couldn't help an automatic smile that slipped through her façade and formed on her face as Emily once again placed a protective hand on the small of her back and ushered her into the building.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Hope you all liked the fluff chapter! It's a filler before I start in with more action. I wanted to have some sweet moments after the intense talk from the last chapter! As always, please review and let me know what you think! **


	9. Kryptonite

**A/N: Not much to say today other than…ENJOY! Next chapter should be up shortly, it just pass my beta's difficult and grueling tests to ensure it is sufficient to post for you guys! **

**-IF-**

Emily sighed heavily as she allowed her head to rest on her crossed arms atop her immaculate desk. Somehow, she and JJ had miraculously made it to the BAU before anyone else. After having finished all her paperwork yesterday and gulping down her third cup of coffee, there was little else to do but wait on the rest of the team. As soon as the two women had entered the bullpen, JJ had scurried off to her office with the mumbled explanation that she had a lot of work to catch up on. Emily knew JJ was just using that as an excuse to gather her thoughts, but that was fine with her because she could use the peace, quiet, and distance from the blonde to sort through her own jumbled mess of a mind. Continuing to be in close proximity to JJ was not conducive to compartmentalizing and sorting through her thought being that she was constantly distracted for numerous reasons.

Before Emily could sufficiently enjoy her time alone, she felt a heavy hand land on her shoulder and heard the deep voice that accompanied it, "Why so tired Prentiss? Busy night at JJ's place?"

When Emily looked up, she saw the playful twinkle in Morgan's dark eyes as he settled behind his desk. "Please tell me you're kidding right now," was Emily's monotonous response.

"Why would I be kidding? You look like you haven't slept in years. So it's a logical assumption on my part that while you were 'standing watch' at JJ's last night, your hormones got the better of you, and you stood watch from inside JJ's bed," Morgan finished with a chuckle. He knew that would never happen, that Emily would never act in such a classless fashion, but he enjoyed teasing the normally prim and proper profiler.

Grumbling in annoyance, Emily pinched the bridge of her nose as if to fend off an oncoming headache before she replied, "Not that I should dignify your illogical and heinous statement with a response, but after your 'story time' yesterday and my untimely and accidental 'coming out', JJ wanted to talk things through last night. Needless to say, I didn't sleep well."

Morgan looked at Emily in sympathy. He knew that JJ was a very open person with her emotions. She wanted to talk things through and discuss what was happening at that moment. But Emily was the exact opposite. She would much rather ignore everything around her and pretend like nothing was even happening. So he knew the previous night must have been difficult for JJ to get Emily even close to opening up. But it must have been nearly impossible for Emily to resist the one person she would do anything for. Profiling, although he knew he wasn't supposed to within the team, Morgan could tell that Emily was emotionally drained. Knowing today was going to be a long day for his best friend, Morgan eased up, "I'm sorry, Emily. I didn't mean for all that to happen."

Emily opened her eyes, removed her hand from her face and smiled briefly at Morgan. He rarely used her first name usually just calling her Prentiss, or Princess when he wanted to tease her, so when she heard him say "Emily", she knew he was being serious. "Thanks Derek, and as much as I would love to blame you for everything, it really wasn't your fault. It was just a long night. You know I don't do the whole emotional bit very well, but I also find it nearly impossible to deny JJ anything. But I will say, as much as I enjoy spending time with her and Henry, I'll be grateful for someone else to take watch tonight. I just need a night in my bed, in my condo, with no heart-to-heart discussions or emotionally draining conversations." With that, Emily rose from her chair to make her way for a fourth cup of black coffee. Taking her coffee straight black was a habit she had picked up from her childhood in Brazil.

Before she could take three steps, Hotch called out from the top of the bullpen announcing for everyone to congregate in the conference room in five minutes. Not realizing the rest of the team had already arrived, Emily could easily tell she was not at top speed. But she hadn't really expected to be so with only two hours of sleep under her belt and just five hours the night before that. After retrieving more coffee, Emily made her way to the conference room to start the meeting and to get the day's agenda.

As the profiler made her way into the room, she saw it was now occupied by every team member but her. With a grateful sigh, Emily sat in the last seat available, which also happened to be the furthest seat from JJ. As soon as she sat down and lifted her coffee mug to her mouth, Hotch stood from his seat and turned to face the team. "Good morning. I hope everyone got a decent night of sleep last night because we need to look at this with fresh eyes." Hotch allowed his gaze to linger on Prentiss, sitting at the far end of the table. He could tell the woman had not gotten a good night sleep and briefly wondered whether or not he should have assigned her the task of first watch at JJ's house. Not allowing himself to waste anymore time on the matter, Hotch addressed the tech guru of the BAU, "Garcia, did your search turn up anything of the employees of the three locations, more specifically, the pediatrician's office?"

Garcia quickly rose from her seat as Hotch sat back down in his. After hooking her laptop to the projector, she began detailing what she had found as she sat back down. "Okay, so I left my programs running last night so that we wouldn't have to wait on the results this morning. The only hit I got of any significance was actually from Dr. Gibson's office. They fired a man by the name of Brad Connors about two months ago for unknown reasons. So anyway, I just looked this guy up to see what we had on him, and he is clean as a whistle. He's never had a parking ticket, speeding ticket, warning, nothing. It's almost too perfect of a record. I'm thinking this is probably not his real name."

"It probably isn't. Did you get a current address for Brad?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah. I'll send it to you."

"Great. I want you to go ahead and start looking deeper into this Brad Connors. What did he do before he worked with Dr. Gibson? Where is he from? A complete background," Hotch finished

"10-4, I'm on it sir," Garcia responded as she rose from her seat and briskly left the room.

"Okay, now that we have a potential suspect and a current address, I want Morgan and Prentiss to go check it out. See if Brad's around, and if he is, ask him some questions. Get a feel on him, see if he is or could be our unsub," Hotch said as he forwarded the address to both agents' phones. "Rossi and I will go to Dr. Gibson's office to ask some questions there. Maybe even ask some patients if they remember him. Find out why he got fired. JJ, be ready to write another press release. This could be our guy, so we'll need to get his picture out there and let the public know. Reid, you stay here with Garcia and update the geographical profile with this address. We need to see if it fits with what we're working with."

Before anyone could move to their appointed tasks, JJ's soft voice was heard, "I remember Brad Connors."

Without missing a beat, Emily responded, "Excuse me?"

Seeing the storm brewing in Emily's eyes, JJ knew the profiler was going to be upset with the next bit of information. JJ also knew that Emily was exhausted and irritable, so this had the potential to become worse than it needed to be. Taking a deep breath and preparing for the worst, JJ continued, "Well, Henry's pediatrician is Dr. Gibson. I've been taking him there since he was born. Brad has been there since the beginning. He was actually Henry's favorite employee. Henry wouldn't let anyone else give him a shot. We haven't had to go to the office in the last two months so I didn't know that Brad wasn't there anymore," JJ rambled. She didn't want to be reprimanded from keeping this information from the team yesterday when they found out about Dr. Gibson's office.

Emily clenched her jaw in an effort to keep from yelling at JJ for keeping this from her. Knowing that she was tired and fatigued, Emily didn't want to say anything she would later regret. So she thought it wise to keep her mouth shut.

Noticing that Emily wasn't going to proceed, Rossi asked the obvious question, "Why didn't you tell us JJ?"

The blonde attempted to avoid any eye contact with the rest of the team. But her gaze kept traveling back to the brunette profiler who was still clenching her jaw repeatedly, angrily tapping her pen up and down, and looking everywhere but at the blonde. Realizing she had potentially made a giant mistake, JJ knew she had to tell the team what little she knew, "I didn't withhold it on purpose. I was just kind of zoned out yesterday in the meeting and I didn't think anything of it at the time. I was still upset about being pulled from the field and being confined to a desk job for this case. I wasn't doing it out of retaliation. I guess I just wasn't thinking straight yesterday."

Knowing there was something more to the obvious distraction yesterday than just being pulled from the case, Hotch decided to let that slide and instead focus of what JJ knew about Brad Connors, "Okay, well now that we know, JJ you need to tell us everything you can about Brad. Could he be our guy?"

Pushing her hair behind her ears, JJ knew she wasn't going to be much help. "Well there isn't much to tell about him. He is excellent with children, makes good conversation with adults; he is very unassuming, nonthreatening and attractive. He is exactly what you would picture a serial killer not to be. I never felt uncomfortable around him or allowing Henry to be around him."

"We expected as much about him. Rossi and I are still going to head to the office to see if we can find out why he got fired. There must have been something brewing that patients would not have seen. Everyone should plan to meet back here around three again today." With that, Hotch rose from his seat and briskly walked out the door with Rossi following.

Before JJ could so much as rise from her seat, Emily was already out the door and at her desk preparing to leave with Morgan. Looking to her left, she saw that Morgan was slowly gathering his things for the day, taking his time as Reid left the room as well, "I know what's going through that little blonde head of yours and I'd leave her be if I was you, JJ."

JJ nodded softly, knowing that Morgan was probably right, but also knowing that she couldn't let Emily leave for the day upset with her. So she left Morgan in the conference room and quickly walked to Emily's desk. Clearing her throat to alert Emily of her presence, JJ saw the brunette briefly tense. "I'm sorry, Emily. I didn't withhold the information on purpose, you have to know that."

Swirling around, ready for a challenge, Emily almost lost some of her anger as she gazed into the apologetic blue eyes looking up at her. But then she thought about Henry and JJ and their safely, and she felt the anger grow. Couple that with her lack of sleep, and Emily knew she was going to regret being so upset later. "How could you forget, or overlook, such an obvious connection JJ? Not to mention you fit this guy's type to a tee. I just don't understand what was going through your head. How the _hell_ am I supposed to protect you when you continue to make it so difficult for me?" Emily said in an eerily calm voice.

Knowing that when Emily was extremely upset about a situation, she usually suppressed it to the point of having a calm façade, JJ accepted that Emily was beyond pissed right now. Not the mention, JJ could still see the storm swirling in the brown eyes. Even at the realization, JJ couldn't help the flutter and the spreading warmth that was brought on by Emily's desire to protect her and Henry. But instead of rising to the challenge and fighting back, JJ simply agreed with everything the brunette said, "You're right Emily. It was careless and stupid of me. I have Henry to worry about after all. But that isn't the point. The point is, now you know, I'm sorry about neglecting it earlier, but you can now concentrate on finding Brad Connors."

Slightly thrown off by JJ's calm acceptance of the blame, Emily's anger waivered yet again. How could she stay mad at someone who admitted guilt? So instead of throwing accusations at JJ again, Emily apologized, "I'm sorry, JJ. I'm just worried about your safety. It's the most important thing to me right now. As is Henry's safety. It's just difficult to make sure you're protected when you neglect to inform me on certain things. Besides, I'm running on fumes and coffee so I'm a bit more irritable this morning than normal."

"I know. I might not be a profiler, but I can tell that you got next to no sleep last night. Just be careful out there today. I would ask you to allow Reid to go in your place, but I know that isn't going to happen. So instead, I'm going to ask you, actually beg you, to be careful," JJ said as she reached out and rubbed Emily's forearm up and down briefly.

At the soft contact, Emily felt the last of her anger effectively leave her body. Once the anger that was helping her to stay awake was gone, Emily felt the exhaustion seeping in once more. But putting on a front yet again, Emily responded with a slight laugh, "You're right, I wouldn't let Reid go in my place. But thanks for the concern, but I'll be fine. Remember? I'm the second best shot on the team."

"Can't blame a girl for trying," JJ said in response to Emily not allowing Reid to take her place. "But seriously Emily, let Morgan take the lead on this one and just come back in once piece. To quote you from earlier, I don't have the time or the energy to find another best friend," JJ said playfully as she pulled her hand back and walked with Emily to meet Morgan at the elevators.

Emily looked once more into JJ's eyes and saw the true concern there, "If it makes you feel better, then I promise to be careful and to let Morgan take the lead."

Smiling in relief, JJ quickly nodded her head indicating that she was satisfied with the answer Emily had just given her. When the two reached the elevators and Morgan, JJ addressed both agents, "Good luck guys. Hurry back. It gets pretty boring here without you around, especially since I'm on house arrest."

Morgan simply smiled and sent a wink at JJ as he entered the elevators. Emily allowed her hand to softly slide across JJ's shoulders as she walked past JJ and entered the elevator as well. With a smile of her own, Emily waived as the elevator doors closed, cutting off her view of JJ.

Looking to the right to see Morgan standing there with a knowing smirk on his face, Emily immediately addressed him, "Just shut-up Morgan."

"What Princess? Don't think for one second that I didn't see everything that just happened. I was expecting World War III to break out in the middle of the bullpen. Instead, I end up watching the two of you feel each other up and flirt mercilessly. You and I both know that if it had been me to come talk to you after you stormed out of the office, I would be missing a few family jewels at best. But nooooo, not JJ. You just melt in the mere presence of the liaison goddess," Morgan finished as the two agents left the elevator and made their way to the parking garage.

"Okay first of all, we were not flirting, we were talking. And second of all, I do not 'melt' in her presence," Emily defended half-heartedly. She knew Morgan was right about the latter statement, but she was not at all convinced that she and JJ had been flirting. They were just interacting like normal, and normal was certainly not flirting. _Right?_ Emily thought to herself. Now that she knew JJ was also gay, everything seemed to have a different side.

As the duo reached the FBI issue SUV, Emily climbed into the passenger seat allowing Morgan to drive. Normally she would take the reins since she knew DC better than anyone on the team, but she was doing as JJ asked and allowing Morgan to be the lead on this one.

Morgan saw Emily's mind running a million miles a minute and knew the brunette needed her time to think. So he turned up his favorite station and listened to the music as Emily sat, staring out of the window. She would talk to him if and when she wanted to, but no sooner. For now, he would give his best friend the space she needed.

**-IF-**

"I told Emily I'm gay," JJ stated the moment she walked into Garcia's computer lab.

Jumping up and turning around, Garcia questioned JJ before she got excited, "Say that again please?"

"I told Emily I'm gay. Last night," JJ repeated as she went to sit down in her usual seat.

Seeing that JJ wasn't exactly acting thrilled at the revelation, Garcia sat back down and asked, "Well, I'm guessing you guys aren't engaged and planning a wedding by the lack of overjoyed excitement. How did she react? How is she handling it?"

"I honestly don't know how she is taking it right now. She shut down on me, but that was to be expected. She started pacing and chewing her nails and doing that really sexy thing where she clenches and unclenches her jaw," JJ said she began mindlessly twirling a section of hair around her finger in her own nervous habit.

"Yes, I do know how much you love that," Garcia replied in a knowing voice as she turned back to check on her computers. She was the queen of multi-tasking so she began completing the search on Brad Connors while still talking to JJ.

"Anyway," JJ stated forcefully before continuing. She knew it was a mistake to tell Garcia how her attraction to the brunette increased tenfold when she performed that nervous habit, but it had been a particularly hard day and JJ had consumed one too many beers and was way too sexually depraved for her own good. Effectively cutting Garcia off from taunting her anymore, JJ continued, "As I was saying, she was pacing and not saying anything. She didn't yell at me, didn't get upset or angry, she didn't really have a reaction at all. In fact, the lack of reaction frightens me more than anything. She did what she always does and hid behind her little walls and compartments. Damnit Pen, how am I supposed to get through to her?" JJ finished in a huff. She knew she was pouting, but she knew that Garcia was the only person she could vent in this way to.

"You've got me on that one Jayje. You know it is going to be nearly impossible to get that woman to open up. She's had an awful childhood full of loneliness and an outstanding lack of love, so she just expects that from everyone. Thus the walls were built, to protect her aching heart. You're going to have to show her otherwise. And I'm not going to sit here and lie to you and say it will be easy, because that would be a disservice as a best friend, but I will tell you that if you put in the time and the effort, the reward will be more than worth it. You see how she is with Henry, how much she loves that child as if he were her own. You know she has the capacity to love deeper and more passionately than most people, and certainly more than any girl you've ever been with. You just have to be patient with her and break her down, bit by bit," Garcia finished as she looked to see JJ still twirling her hair and chewing on the inside of her cheek.

Still staring at nothing in the room, and with her thoughts on the gorgeous brunette she was falling fast for, JJ said, "You're right Pen. As always, you are absolutely right."

Chuckling to herself, Garcia threw in, "Did you honestly expect anything less from me?"

"Of course not. So on the subject of last night, I told Emily about how I got pregnant with Henry," JJ informed as she waited for Garcia's reaction. The blonde tech analyst had been pushing JJ to reveal this information for a long time, so she was sure the reaction was going to be one of relief.

"Finally!" Garcia all but screamed shrilly at JJ. "How did our girl take it?"

"Quite well actually. She seemed slightly relieved if I'm being honest. I think she was under the impression it was a bad situation. I mean, you know she never asked about his father, but I'm sure she came up with some possible scenarios in her mind. She did say that Henry was one of the reasons she never got the gay vibe from me," JJ explained. If she was honest with herself, JJ knew that it was next to impossible to guess that she was gay as it were before Henry, and when her son came along, all hopes of being asked out went out the window and she knew it would be up to her from then on to get a date.

"I'm glad you finally told her! She deserved to know, especially since she's basically Henry's father anyway," Garcia smirked. She knew that statement would get under JJ's skin.

"Oh shut up Pen," JJ grumbled while shifting in her seat.

"Okay, now that you've told me all the major points of the night, I want you to start over and tell me everything. I want play-by-play from the moment the two of you sauntered out of this office."

And so JJ proceeded to tell Garcia about her evening and morning with Emily. She replayed how her parents knew Emily was gay, how Emily tucked Henry in, how Emily cooked pancakes worthy of Gods, how Henry wouldn't leave Emily's side the entire time, how Emily told Henry she loved him. She recapped the entire night, not leaving out a single detail.

Once JJ finished with her description of her night, Garcia turned in her chair to face JJ before she began speaking, "Sounds to me like Henry is your way in."

Making eye contact with her blonde counterpart, JJ frowned slightly, not understanding Garcia's train of thought, "I'm sorry, what? I'm not following."

Sighing heavily at how dense JJ was being, Garcia elaborated, "Henry is your ticket into Emily Prentiss' closed off, barricaded heart." Seeing the still confused expression on the other blonde's face, Garcia continued, "Emily is never more open than when she is with Henry. Hell, you just told me you heard her tell Henry she loved him. You've never even heard the word 'love' leave her pretty little mouth. Granted, she said it in that sexy language she grew up speaking, Portuguese, but for Emily, that most likely means more than saying it in English. Especially considering Portuguese was her first of six languages. So clearly, Henry is your secret weapon. I don't know how or when you can use him, but he is Emily Prentiss' kryptonite."

Finally, the realization dawned on JJ. How could she not have thought about this before? How could this have escaped her normally sharp mind? "Penelope Garcia, you never cease to amaze me!" With that, JJ jumped out of her seat and quickly made her way to the door. "I've got to go. I need to work on that press release. Besides, I have a lot to think about." Throwing a playful wink over her shoulder, JJ left the computer lab and headed toward her office.

Garcia watched as JJ left in a blur of blonde hair and navy skirt suit. Turning back to her computers, Garcia held a smile on her face. She hoped the blonde would come up with an appropriate plan on her own; otherwise, she would have to intervene. Not that she minded at all, but she thought it best if the two agents found their way together with as little outside help as possible.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Thanks for reading guys! Y'all are the best! Please review and let me know if you liked this! I'm going to start responding again if you sign in to your fanfic account and leave a review. I haven't really had time lately, but I'll make time again for you guys! It's the least I can do. Thanks again! **


	10. Operation Jem

**A/N: CALLING ALL CM READERS AND AUTHORS! Join us for our first Profiler's Choice CM Awards on ! Help us choose the best of the best of the CM stories on , and let your voice be heard. Anyone with a account is eligible to nominate. Please check out the nominating ballot and rules at Chit Chat on Author's Forum at .net/topic/74868/30888142/1/. All rules and information are on the forum.**

**A/N: There is an Emily/JJ category for the contest above (hint, hint). It seems like a really neat idea and I think it would be amazing if everyone participated! I know I'm going to! **

**-IF-**

The hallway was dark and deserted, but that didn't stop Derek Morgan from picking up his pace. The last thing he wanted to do was to get caught out in the open. Finally reaching the door and quietly slipping inside, the handsome profiler shut the door behind him with a soft click.

"Well hello my handsome hunk of a chocolate god," Garcia said as she remained staring at her computer screens.

"You know, I would ask how you knew it was me, but I've stopped trying to figure you out baby girl," Morgan replied with a smile in his voice as he landed heavily in the seat next to Garcia.

"You are a wise man. So to what do I owe this rare pleasure of being able to gaze upon your heavenly face and sculpted body this afternoon? What do you need?"

"What? I can't just come pay a visit to my baby girl?" When Garcia glanced over for the first time since he had been in the room with a look showing she was onto him, Morgan relented and explained the reason for his visit, "Okay fine, you win. I came to, we'll say, investigate."

"And what, pray tell, are you investigating? I know it isn't about the case since we're all going to be going over that in about forty five minutes," Garcia exclaimed as she finished what she was doing and turned to face Morgan head on.

Deciding they didn't have much time to talk, Morgan just jumped right into his reason for visiting, "Well, as I'm sure you remember from yesterday, Emily undeniably came out. And that was mainly because of your baited question. What I want to know is how you knew? And don't try to deflect and say you were just taking a wild guess. I saw your face before you asked the question, you knew Emily was gay. Either that, or you had a strong enough suspicion to trick Emily into answering you," Morgan finished. He had been itching to talk to Garcia about how much she knew since the incident had occurred, but this was the first opportunity he had gained. It was only 2:15pm so the team wouldn't be assembling until 3:00.

Garcia looked at Morgan to try and gauge what she should and should not reveal. She had a feeling he could be a strong ally to have in the effort to pair JJ and Emily up, but at the same time, she didn't want to spill JJ's secret. "And why should I tell you anything? You obviously knew she was gay also. I saw how you didn't react at all when Emily came out, which leads me to believe that you were already privy to this information. Why should I reveal my information to you, when you neglected to reveal yours to me?"

Morgan swallowed and sat a moment. He was also trying to determine how much to reveal to Garcia. As he sat in silence for a few minutes, he made the decision that the tech analyst could be trusted. He knew she would never use the information he had against Emily. He, on the other hand, would have to most likely persuade the blonde into giving him information. _That shouldn't be too hard_, he thought easily. "Alright, you have a point. How about this baby girl, I tell you what I know, everything I know, and in turn, you spill what you know. Deal?"

Thinking it over for a minute, Garcia had to admit she got the better end of the bargain. If what Morgan knew didn't add up to what she knew, she could refrain from sharing her side of things. Deciding to go with the offer, Garcia extended her hand, "Deal."

Shaking and letting go of Garcia's hand, Morgan sat back in his chair getting ready to find out what he needed and to tell what he knew. "I found all this out one night when it was just a very drunk Emily and me at a bar after a hard case. I guess I'll start with the obvious. Emily is gay and has been for as long as she can remember. She's never been in a relationship with a man. This includes holding hands with, kissing, flirting, etc. As far as relationships go, she's actually never really had a serious one. She's had the usual and expected fling. The only relationship she'd consider serious was when she was twenty two and living in Portugal with her mother after college. She wouldn't call that love though as it only lasted about six months."

When Morgan paused as though done telling his side of things, Garcia spoke up, "No way am I giving you any of my information if that's all you got baby cakes. I could get that out of Emily in a week, tops. You're gonna have to do better than that."

Pausing briefly, Morgan was reluctant to continue. The previous information was not something that, as she stated, Garcia couldn't finagle from the brunette herself. He had only been privileged to know even this little bit of her past because it was revealed the same drunken night Emily had come out to him. However, the next bit, he wasn't sure he should expose. It wasn't necessarily his secret to tell. Taking a deep breath and reminding himself that this was for Emily's own good, the dark profiler trudged ahead. "This next bit is the part I really came in here to talk to you about. As you figured out, somehow, JJ is Emily's type."

Garcia looked incredulously at Morgan. He was coming in here with obvious truths and trying to trade what she already knew for his own profit. No way was she going to play that game, "Sweetie, you're overstating the obvious. I know JJ is Emily's type. That's how I outed her, remember? Or are those muscles getting in the way of your brain? I guess you can't always have both," Garcia joked, getting ready to end this pointless exchange.

Frustrated, Morgan relented, "No baby girl, you don't understand. JJ doesn't just fit into Emily's type. Emily's type _**IS**_ JJ. As in, Emily only wants JJ. She doesn't want a blonde hair, blue eyed, feisty replacement. She wants JJ. She's apparently wanted JJ from the moment she began working here." There, he'd said it. He wasn't the only one harboring Emily's secret. He now had someone to share the load.

Garcia sat unblinkingly for a moment in her chair, just staring through Morgan. Sure, she had suspected that Emily was attracted to JJ, had even tried to convince JJ of the fact, but to hear it actually confirmed was another story entirely. "How did you…when did she…God, I don't even know where to begin," The blonde woman said as she tried to sift through her overwhelming thoughts.

"I know where you can begin, how about you tell me what you know? How about you start with how you knew, or suspected, that Emily was gay," the profiler prompted, eager to find out the other side of things. He suspected there was more to what Garcia was privy to than she was letting on.

Garcia swallowed shakily. To tell Morgan one thing, she knew she was really going to have to tell him everything, including JJ's attraction to Emily. But as she thought about it, Morgan had been doing an excellent job at keeping Emily's secret, so why should she doubt that he could keep JJ's? "Well, I guess you could say JJ and I have had extended conversations over the past few years about Emily's sexuality. I always thought she was gay or at least leaned a little that way. I guess it's in the way she carries herself, how she interacts with others, oh and not to mention the looks I would sometimes see her giving JJ when she thought no one was watching her. "

Morgan nodded as he agreed with what Garcia was saying, "Yeah, that was something I always had to remind her to be careful about. She has a severe weakness when it comes to JJ. But why would you and JJ have extensive conversations about Emily's sexuality?"

_Here goes nothing_, Garcia thought as she decided to just go for it, "Let's just say that Emily is exactly JJ's type also."

"Meaning…" Morgan prompted, not following what Garcia was trying to say.

"Gosh, what is it with people being dense in my office today? Meaning that our innocent little JJ has the hots for our tall, dark, sexy, exotic, mysterious, stubborn Emily," Garcia finished anxiously. Why was it that she always had to explain everything in detail to everyone? Weren't these people supposed to be some of the most intelligent and aware people in the country?

"What do you mean by JJ has the hots for Prentiss? JJ's straight," Morgan pointed out what he thought was obvious. He was thoroughly confused at this point.

"No, actually JJ has not been straight since high school. You just assumed she was because of Henry and because she is a girly-girl," Garcia clarified. Seeing that Morgan was about to protest, Garcia continued, "And before you ask, Henry was the result of a one night stand gone wrong. But that's not the topic of this conversation. I think at this point, we need to work on a way to get these two together. I'm personally sick and tired of hearing JJ talk about _Emily this_ and _Emily that_. And even though it's only been a day, it's actually gotten worse since yesterday. I'm going insane," the blonde finished as she sat back in her chair. She didn't know when she had leaned forward, but now that everything had been said and every secret had been spilled, she was a lot more relaxed.

"Wow, I don't even know where to begin," Morgan said as he rubbed his large hands over his head a few times as he processed what Garcia has just told him.

"See how I felt? Except I am probably guessing it's a bit worse for you since you had no idea about JJ. I at least had an inkling about Emily."

"Wow. I guess I can only say that I'm on board with you about getting them together. I doubt Emily is quite as bad as JJ when it comes to talking about the other one. But I will say I can see how it tears her up inside. She tries so hard to hide it, but sometimes it slips through. Usually after a specifically grueling case," pausing momentarily, Morgan thought for a second before continuing, "Today was the worst I've ever seen her. I think it's because she got no sleep last night and she is still exhausted from our case in Oregon. She also had to spend the whole night with JJ and Henry playing house. I'm sure that is what mainly tore her up. I just want to see her happy," Morgan finished as he looked into Garcia's brown eyes. In those eyes, he saw the same desire for JJ to be happy as well.

"Alright my chocolate god, what did you have in mind?" Garcia began as a smile spread across her face. Though she had decided earlier that she wouldn't do anything, she also knew that if she allowed the two girls to handle things on their own, they wouldn't get together for years to come.

Before Morgan could respond with any ideas, his cell phone rang on his hip. Bringing the ringing intrusion to his ear, he grunted "Morgan" into the mouthpiece and waited for a response. "Yes sir. I'm actually with Garcia now so I'll just walk up with her."

After looking at her watch and seeing 3:04, Garcia already knew who was on the phone, "Hotch?" Receiving a nod from Morgan both stood to leave the lab. Morgan waited as Garcia gathered her things to head up to the bullpen together. Before leaving the lab, Garcia addressed Morgan on their previous conversation, "So it goes without saying that everything we talked about stays between us."

"Of course baby girl. You're the only other person in this department I trust with this information anyway," Morgan responded as he held the door open for the blonde and began escorting her down the hall.

"Be thinking of a plan and we'll talk more about Operation Jem later," Garcia said she the two entered the bullpen to find they were the last ones to be accounted for.

"Operation Jem?" Morgan questioned.

"Yeah, J for JJ and Em for Emily. Operation Jem"

Chuckling softly so as not to alert the others to their conversation as they neared the conference room, Morgan responded, "Nice one baby girl." Once the duo entered the room, they sat in the two seats that had been left open for them at the back.

"Now that everyone is here, let's go over what was accomplished today. Garcia, we'll start with you. Were you able to find out more information about Brad Connors?"

"As a matter of fact, if by Brad Connors, you mean Mr. Harold Eason, then yes. Brad Connors changed his name approximately six year ago from Harold Eason. Now, Harold Eason has a rap sheet with quite a few more marks on it that Brad Connors' spotless one. Harold was arrested multiple times in Louisiana for a number of misdemeanors including assault and battery, petty theft, and unpaid traffic tickets. But then, about seven years ago, his mother passed away. That is when things started to change. He was charged with attempted rape and murder of a woman by the name of Cynthia Rowe. Here's the kicker. Not surprisingly, Ms. Rowe fits into our victimology perfectly. Every detail about her life is the same as our victims', except for one difference. Cynthia was not estranged from her family. Anyway, he was never charged of the crime because there was a lack of evidence and Cynthia wouldn't testify. After the trial, Harold Eason drops off the map and Brad Connors appears," Garcia finished as she displayed the old mug shot of Harold Eason on the board. They now had a potential suspect and picture to go with it.

"Morgan and Prentiss, you guys were supposed to go to Brad's house. What happened there," Hotch continued moving everything along.

Morgan began speaking since he took the lead on this outing, "Brad wasn't at his house. I kind of expected as much, but we waited around for a bit just to be sure. We talked to some of the neighbors and asked them some questions. They all pretty much said the same thing, 'Oh Brad is just darling. He is so quiet and kind. He helps me with this, that and the other.' So basically he keeps his façade up at home also. All the houses are pretty close together. With the assumption that the victims are alive and conscious while he has them, he most likely has another location other than this house because the neighbors would hear any screams. There was no basement that could be seen from our vantage point and without a warrant, we couldn't go looking around. All in all, it was extremely uneventful and unhelpful," Morgan concluded.

Rossi spoke up for the first time, "I'll work on getting the warrant pushed through, but it most likely won't be signed until tomorrow morning at the earliest."

At this point, Reid cut in to inform them of his updated findings, "I added the address into the geographical profile. It fits, rather perfectly actually. It falls right into the middle of the grid. Going off the assumption that he does have another location, it will be within a five mile radius of his house. We need to search for places that he could be secluded, have privacy, and most importantly, not be heard."

"Reid, you keep working on that. Focus on abandoned warehouses, storage units, empty houses, or anything along those lines. Now, as for Dr. Gibson's office, it was a bit more helpful, although not by much. They were able to tell us that Brad was fired because he was caught going through patient files without permission. Apparently it was his third and final warning. Other than that, we didn't get any new information. But it did solidify that Brad Connors, aka Harold Eason, is our guy. JJ, did you get that press release finished?"

Caught off guard at finally being addressed, JJ tore her eyes away from staring at Emily quite reluctantly and addressed Hotch, "Yes sir. It's done. I just need to proof it once more and go over it with Emily and it'll be ready for the five o'clock news again," the blonde said as her attention went to Emily to confirm that they would review the statement together.

"Good. Go ahead and call the press conference and get Prentiss prepared," Hotch ordered. He watched as JJ all but sprang from her chair and bustled out the door with an energy that only came from doing nothing all day. He felt a sudden wave of guilt wash through him and wished that he could allow the young agent back into the field on this case. The rest of the team was running on fumes so they could use the extra help. But knowing that her safety was of the utmost importance, especially after the new information about Brad Connors' first victim when he had been Harold Eason, Hotch knew that just wasn't possible. Then Hotch watched as Emily slowly rose from her chair and turned to follow the energetic blonde. He knew if there was one person on the team who needed rest more than anyone, it was Prentiss. He also knew that right now, she had the most weight on her shoulders, having to also do JJ's job on top of her own. But the brunette never once complained. He made a vow that tomorrow he was going to give her something less demanding to do, giving her a slight break, provided they didn't have to go chasing the unsub down.

**-IF-**

When JJ entered her office, she quickly made her way over to her computer to print out what she had written so far. Looking up, she expected to see Emily already sitting in the seat in front of her desk. Instead, the brunette profiler was just making her way to JJ's door and slowly walking through it. Immediately, deep concern etched itself across JJ's face as she addressed Emily, "Em, are you alright? You look dead on your feet."

Knowing that JJ was easily reading through her front of faked energy but knowing there was little else she could do about it, Emily still managed to respond with humor, "Thanks JJ, that's just what a girl wants to hear after a long day that isn't quite over."

Smiling sympathetically, JJ responded, "Sorry Emily, I'm just worried about you is all. You probably shouldn't have been out in the field today at all. I would have much rather you stayed here instead. I know you could have easily tweaked the geographical profile just as Reid did." Looking at the haggard agent in front of her, JJ was amazed at how beautiful she still managed to look. Granted, her face was a bit more gaunt the usual, and the dark circles surrounding her eyes were more prominent, but she still carried herself with a sense of elegance and refinement not found in most people. She still had the sharp, intellectual gaze that always drew JJ in deeper than she usually intended to go.

Emily smiled gently, happy to know JJ was looking out for her safety. It was a not a sentiment she was used to receiving from many people. "Thanks for the concern JJ. But honestly, I'm fine. Once we get this press release done, we'll all most likely be sent home again since there isn't more we can do without the search warrants to look at Brad Connors' place. I think I can make it another hour and half."

"Very well. Let's get this done then." So JJ joined Emily in front of her desk as they reviewed the press release and what was to be said and to be avoided.

Knowing the press release wasn't going to cause any difficult problems for her, Emily only half paid attention to what JJ was trying to explain to her. Instead, she couldn't help but to focus on the way JJ's hair kept falling over one shoulder and the blonde would continuously push it behind her ear only to have it fall back again. Emily focused on the way JJ's vanilla scented lotion wrapped around her so all she could smell was the blonde woman. All she could think about was the blonde woman. She focused on how she wanted to reach over and stop JJ's incessant blabbering about the press release with a ravishing kiss that took the two of them to her desk top where she would push the folders and papers out of the way. Emily focused on the fact that she could not focus on anything but her need for JJ. At that moment, JJ consumed her every thought, her every inhale, her every exhale, her every heartbeat.

When JJ looked up from her paper, she gasped faintly at the look in Emily's eyes. The barriers, for whatever reason, seemed to have been all but obliterated at that instant. JJ vaguely thought it had something to with Emily's exhaustion, but the reason why was far from her mind. She was too focused on the lust that was pulsating from the brunette. The normally light brown eyes were almost black with desire, pulling JJ ever closer to Emily's chair. The profiler's lips were swollen and seemed to be begging JJ to close the remaining distance and claim them. And she planned to do just that. Leaning forward to meet Emily, JJ felt as if time had stopped and sped up at the same moment. She felt as though she was moving too slowly, but everything was happening too fast. Just as she was about to close the distance, she heard a whimper of the name "Jennifer" that fell almost silently from lips just inches in front of her own. And at that second, her desk phone harshly screeched into the thick air.

Cursing a number of profanities under her breath, JJ rose, turned her embarrassed back towards Emily, and answered without looking at the caller id. "Jareau," she grumbled ungratefully into the receiver.

Hotch heard the irritation in JJ's voice and assumed Emily was being difficult to deal with. Nevertheless, he informed JJ on the reason for his call, "The press is downstairs. We're all in place and just waiting for Emily." Knowing that JJ would understand that he meant for her to send the brunette down, Hotch ended the call and waited.

JJ forcefully hung up the phone and turned to tell Emily to head down to the lobby. But as her eyes took in the chair where the brunette had just been sitting, JJ realized that Emily had already left with the press release. JJ shivered noticeably as she thought back to what had almost happened not a minute before. She imagined she should be worried about having scared Emily away, but she remembered the way Emily had whimpered her name, the way it just sounded so _right_ for the name Jennifer to fall so easily from the lush lips, and JJ knew this experience solidified her desire to be with Emily. Now, at least, she was sure the brunette wanted her just as much. She could easily see that Emily was beginning to fight a losing battle with her barriers and walls; with her heart. Before long, Emily Prentiss would fall into her open and waiting arms.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! I really had a great time writing the ending of this chapter! So close! Another update hopefully will be up by the end of this week. As always, please review and let me know what you think! Did you like the ending?**


	11. Stay Put

**A/N: Okay, so I'm really sorry for the delay. My grandfather was in the hospital and I had to help my parents take care of him. Then I had to study for the GMAT to try and get into Graduate School (I did good by the way!). Anyway, the next chapter is written and with my Beta right now so it will probably be posted either tonight or tomorrow. For now, enjoy this chapter!**

**A/N: Special thanks to Melissa, my Beta. I know you're SWAMPED so I appreciate you getting this back to me so quickly!**

**-IF-**

Emily shivered noticeably as she leaned heavily against the elevator wall. Her head fell heavily against the shining steel as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, clenched her jaw, and fisted her hands at her sides. The question "_What did I do?"_ ran repeatedly through her clouded mind. But before she could contemplate the last few moments with JJ much further, the doors opened to the lobby and she was forced to walk towards the rest of her team.

Before she reached the group, Morgan approached her, "You alright Prentiss? You look a little flushed."

Quick to dispel any further comments or inquiries, Emily hastily replied in a voice only he could hear, "Yeah, I'm fine Morgan. Just drop it alright?" As the duo neared the rest of the group, Emily addressed the remaining members, "Let's just get this over with."

Just as Emily began to make her way towards the doors to talk to the cannibalistic press once again, Hotch stopped her with a soft hand to her shoulder, "You should know, once we're done with the press conference, we're all going back out Brad Connors' place."

With a confused expression marring her features, Emily responded, "Why? I thought we had to wait for the warrant to come through; and that wasn't going to happen until tomorrow."

With a deep sigh, Hotch answered, "Well, with the higher-ups wanting this solved quicker than normal, they pulled some strings. We got the warrant so we're not waiting." Not wanting to showcase her exhaustion, Emily simply gave a curt nod and turned to continue walking out the door. Before she made it a step, Hotch addressed her again, "I want you to stay at the bullpen with JJ and Garcia."

Whirling around to face Hotch, Emily questioned him with venom in her voice and fire in her eyes, "Excuse me?"

Bracing himself for a fight, Hotch began to explain his reasoning behind his decision, "Prentiss, don't think for a moment that I haven't noticed your lack of energy today. You can barely keep your eyes open, even with the numerous cups of coffee you've consumed. I put you on watch at JJ's last night so I am aware that you did not get much sleep. I am also aware that we just got done with that case in Oregon that you are still most likely recovering from. I'll be _damned_ if I allow you out into the field in this state. Not only will you be endangering your own life, but also the life of everyone else on the raid. You will stay here. That is an order, Agent Prentiss."

The finality with which Hotch spoke almost killed any objections Emily was about to put forth. But the thought of having to spend the next few hours alone with JJ and Garcia frightened her more than Hotch's wrath. Thinking of an argument on the spot, Emily went for the one weakness she knew would be almost impossible for Hotch to resist, "Hotch, I _need_ to be out there with you guys. JJ and Henry are more my family than anyone I've ever had. JJ is my best friend and this sick bastard is targeting women just like her. Hell, for all we know, JJ could be his grand finale. He most likely knows all about her from Dr. Gibson's office. I _have_ to go."

Chewing on the inside of his cheek in a nervous habit of his own, Hotch wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, he wanted to keep everyone safe and he knew to do that he would need to keep Emily at the bullpen. But on the other hand, he understood completely where she was coming from. Prentiss was one of the most fiercely protective people he had ever met. So he understood her desire to lock the bastard up who was doing this. Going against his better judgment and praying to God it wouldn't blow up in his face, Hotch agreed to let Emily go with the team, "Fine, you can go. But you _will not_ take the lead on this. You will hang back and take up the rear. And before you put up any further arguments, I know you have the best shot on the team aside from JJ, but this is the only way I'll allow you to go. Agreed?"

Emily would not have put up any arguments, but Hotch needn't know that. Instead, she gave a curt nod and answered, "Agreed." With the decision made, Emily turned back towards the doors once more to give the press release. She sighed in resignation knowing that it was going to be a long time before she was able to get some much needed rest, though she would never admit that out loud.

As the group approached the doors, Emily struggled to keep her eyes open in the bright sun. She stepped to the podium and waited for the rest of the team to fall in place. Finally ready, she began the press release that JJ had written for her. Although it was almost identical to the previous one, there were a few alterations which necessitated alerting the public. As she read from the paper, she continuously glanced up and around to keep an eye on the crowd. Although her job was to be in control of the reporters and the conference, she couldn't stop her natural instincts from taking over.

The poised profiler scanned the crowd looking for any suspicious activity. That's when her eyes fell on a baseball cap. It was the same baseball cap that had been at the previous press conference. As she took in the rest of the suspect, she noticed it was also the same hoodie. The mysterious man was back again. This time though, he made eye contact with Emily. She could see his brown eyes staring at her from the shade of his hat. Emily's voice caught as she realized she wasn't paying attention to her notes any more. Quickly looking down to find her spot again, even though she already had the release memorized, Emily regained her composure. As she raised her eyes to find the man again, she saw that he was nowhere to be seen.

Finally ending the conference, Emily turned to head back through the doors, with her head reeling. There was something off about that man but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. And where did she seem to know him from? As the team strolled into the bull pen, Emily finally spoke up, "I saw him again."

Slightly confused, Reid glanced over and asked, "Saw who?"

"The same guy from the last press conference. You know, the one with the baseball cap and the all around shady vibe. Did anyone else see him?" Emily asked somewhat disbelieving that she could be the only one to see the man.

The rest of the team shook their heads as Hotch spoke up, "I didn't see anything. By the looks of it, no one else did either. You were most likely so focused on looking for the man again that you made yourself think that you had seen him when in actuality he wasn't there. Besides, you're more tired than anyone in this room, so it is only logical that you would be seeing things."

Emily, being an easily irritated person when she was exhausted, grew agitated at the suggestion of her apparent mistake. "I'm telling you, I know what I saw. And I saw that same guy. What about you Morgan? Didn't you see him?"

Reluctantly shaking his head because he knew how Emily could get when she thought she was onto something, he responded, "I'm sorry Prentiss, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary."

Not believing that she was projecting her desire to end the case by creating false suspects in the crowd, Emily decided to let it go for now. It wasn't worth getting into an argument over right before everyone had to go on a raid. She would just be sure to keep an eye out for herself. "Okay, maybe you're all right. But I'm still going to be cautious about this guy."

As Morgan turned to walk towards his desk, Emily saw JJ enter the bullpen from the hallway leading from Garcia's office. In an effort to evade all contact with the blonde, Emily diligently avoided connecting eyes with JJ as she turned the opposite direction to head towards her own desk. She had to grab a few things before everyone headed out; or at least that's what she told herself. Before she stepped more than three feet away from the group, she heard JJ address Hotch, "I want to go."

Without a thought, Emily quickly turned around to find JJ and Hotch standing, facing each other, neither one willing to back down. With the same fire burning in her eyes from earlier, Emily exclaimed, "Excuse me? You want to what?"

"You heard me. I want to go with you. This is our guy. I _know_ it is. He worked at Henry's pediatric office, he targets women just like me, he is the reason I've been stuck here for this whole case. I need to be there to catch this guy," JJ explained as she turned to face Emily as well. JJ could see the refusal about to spill from Emily's mouth. But she could also see the unhidden fear shining in the brown eyes staring at her. That fear made the blonde falter in her insistence for a moment. Maybe she hadn't really thought this idea through all the way.

Before Emily could say anything, Hotch jumped in. He knew the profiler was exhausted. Add that to her already overprotective nature where JJ was concerned, and he knew there was about to be an argument between the two girls. "JJ, you can't go. You're right about having a feeling that this is our guy, because I have that feeling too. But what if he isn't there? What if he's there, but we have no grounds to hold him? With you being there and him seeing you, you could very easily become his next target. That is the whole point of keeping you here with Garcia. I'm not going to take that risk. Besides, I have something I need you and Garcia to work on anyway. Come on, I'll walk with you to Garcia's office to brief the two of you on your task," Hotch said as he led JJ towards the hallway she had just emerged from.

Before disappearing from view, JJ looked over her shoulder towards Emily. She saw the brunette sag in relief. JJ understood now that her own safety was undeniably important to Emily. She knew, in that moment, that she would stay in the office for the remainder of this case, if only to give Emily some peace of mind.

Finally turning the corner in the hallway, Hotch broke the comfortable silence between the two, "She cares a lot about you. She's just trying to keep you safe."

JJ knew that Emily's over protectiveness was obvious to everyone on the team, if not to the brunette herself. After a moment, JJ finally responded, "I know. I'm just getting cabin fever being stuck in these offices all day. I feel inadequate. I want to be out there, with you guys, making a difference."

"I completely understand that, JJ. I promise, I do. But you have to understand how close to home this case is hitting for everyone, but mostly for Emily. It's no secret that Emily doesn't have a fantastic relationship with her mother outside of political necessities. And I believe her relationship with her father is even more nonexistent. Thus, Emily considers us her family, even if she's never said that much outright. But she looks at you and Henry as her rock, her stability, her source of love she never got growing up. So when that is threatened, she is naturally going to protect it with an intense fierceness. Just keep that in mind before you get upset with her for being stubborn about your wellbeing," Hotch finished as he opened the door to Garcia's office. He wasn't normally one for meddling in his team's personal lives, but he understood Emily's desire to protect those she loved more than life itself.

As the duo entered the computer lab, JJ lowered her head and kept her eyes on her fidgeting hands and fingers. She already knew everything Hotch had just said to her, but it was different coming from someone else, her boss no less. It was one thing to speculate with Garcia about Emily's over protective ways, but it was another thing entirely to hear her boss telling her to cut Emily some slack for protecting her family. If she was honest, she was most astounded by the fact that it sounded so natural, so easy, to call herself and Henry, Emily's family.

Garcia immediately noticed the uncharacteristically somber mood of her blonde friend. Assuming that it was because Hotch wasn't allowing her to go on the raid, Garcia pushed it from her mind. While she hadn't originally wanted to tell JJ about where the team was going after the press conference, she also knew that no amount of arguing with Hotch, or Emily for that matter, was going to change the ruling on JJ's forced imprisonment. Instead, the quirky blonde stood from her computer chair and address Hotch, "What can I do for you, Boss Man?"

"Remember from the last press conference everyone saw a man in a baseball cap and a hoodie?" After receiving quick nods from both women, Hotch continued, "Well, Emily thinks she saw that same guy this time also. No one else saw him, but I'm not saying that Emily didn't. So, I need the two of you to go over footage of the each press conference and see if you can find anything suspicious. But mainly focus on finding this mysterious guy. Questions?" After both women shook their heads, Hotch turned to head out the door. But before he made it all the way, he spun back around and said, "JJ, I mean it about staying here. You are not to leave, under any circumstances, until you hear from me. Got it?"

Rolling her eyes before turning to face Hotch, JJ replied, "Yes sir. I'll stay put."

Hotch nodded his head in approval and said, "Good. Make sure she follows through with that, okay Garcia?"

Smiling at the obvious concern for JJ, Garcia answered, "Aye, Aye Captain."

With that, Hotch finally made his way from the lab and headed back into the bull pen to find the team ready and waiting for him. Walking directly to the elevators, everyone else fell in line. As the team entered the elevators, Hotch began issuing orders for how the raid was going to take place, "From the report Prentiss and Morgan gave us, we know the house has two levels including the basement. When we get there, Rossi and I will enter through the front and take the upstairs. Morgan and Reid will enter from the back, on my word, and clear the basement. Prentiss, you fall in behind Morgan and Reid. Questions?" Once again, receiving a quick shake of the head from everyone, Hotch continued, "Alright, everyone suit up in the car. We've got to be quick about this when we get there in case the unsub spooks."

And so the team of agents went on their way. They climbed into their separate SUVs and began getting ready, mentally and physically, for the raid. They all had the same thought on their minds. They all were hoping this raid would be successful and they could catch Brad Connors. Not only to take a serial killer off the streets, but also to protect their family.

**-IF-**

**A/N: I'm sorry again for making everyone wait! I hope you're all still with me! Please REVIEW and let me know what you think. This was a filler chapter, but the next one has a TON of action. Like I said, it'll probably be posted tonight : ) **


	12. The Room

**A/N: As promised, chapter 12 in the SAME DAY as chapter 11! That should count for something right : ) **

**Happy Reading!**

**-IF-**

Emily felt her heart pounding in her chest while she followed quickly behind Morgan and Reid as the trio made their way to the back door of Brad Connors' house. She was already agitated that she had not been put on point; she was the second best shot on the team after all. However, she was more upset that she had to trail behind Reid, who coincidentally was the worst shot. But she knew that she was lucky to even be here since Hotch had fought so hard for her to stay at the bullpen with JJ and Garcia. The brunette profiler reluctantly swallowed her pride and waited impatiently behind Morgan and Reid to enter the house.

While standing there, mentally preparing for the entrance, Emily heard Hotch yell for Brad Connors to open the door. After a minute or two of no response, they got the go ahead to force entry. With her heart level increasing exponentially, Emily swallowed her nerves and clenched her jaw in determination. Even if she wasn't on point, she would still fulfill her duties to the best of her ability. Growing slightly lightheaded with the intense wave of emotions and physical activity, Emily nearly failed to realize that Morgan had kicked down the door and the two men had disappeared inside. Knowing her slightly blurred vision was due to her fatigue, Emily forcefully pushed the sensation aside and followed the duo inside. She would be not proving Hotch right about his desire for her to stay at the bullpen.

The next sequencing of events happened in a blur, seeming to barely register with the brunette in her state. When Emily entered the house, she saw Morgan and Reid descending the staircase leading to the basement that was sitting immediately in front of the back door. She quickly made up the space between her and Reid as she descended the stairs two at a time. Once behind him, they all proceed down the narrow hallway in front of them. With two doors on each side of the hall and one at the very end, Morgan quickly went to the first to clear while Reid went to the second. Emily made her way to the third when she felt Morgan rush behind her to clear the fourth room. After clearing the small, empty storage room in front of her, Emily turned to wait with Reid as Morgan tried to open the fifth and final door.

When Morgan reached for the handle, it wouldn't budge, signifying it had been locked. So, with a grunt of effort, the strong and muscular man threw his shoulder into the door three times before it opened with a loud crash.

The sight that greeted the trio of agents took their breath away. The cold room held one gleaming surface after another with reflections bouncing back and forth between them all. But the most horrifying part was the operating-like table located in the center of the frigid room. Atop the table lay a woman, naked and beaten. The woman, with hair that was once most likely a long and flowing blonde, now lay limp and matted with blood. Her wrists and ankles were secured to the table with restraints that were cutting into her pale skin and drawing blood that dripped steadily to the floor. As the woman turned her head to look at the group, she opened her eyes, allowing the three agents to see her dull and nearly lifeless blue eyes.

Finally jumping into action, Morgan raced to the woman's side and began undoing the ties holding her to the table. While doing so, he began speaking to the woman softly, "It's okay. We're with the FBI and we're going to get you out of here. You're safe now." Hearing the words of soft comfort, the woman allowed silent tears to fall from her eyes leaving clear streaks on her dirtied face.

Emily watched as Reid took a step forward to help Morgan untie the restraints as well to quicken the process so they could leave the unsettling basement. As Emily took a step forward, she realized with a quick start of fear, they hadn't cleared the room. There were places inside that anyone could hide. The shock of the living victim had stunned them so much that they forgot to actually perform their normal duties.

In the process of raising her gun again to clear the room, Emily began to call out to the two men. But before she could get one word out of her mouth, she felt something collide with the right side of her face with such force that it threw her off balance and she fell backwards, losing her gun in the process. As Emily looked up from the floor, she saw Brad Connors raising a steal pipe over his head to bring back down to beat her. With her vision swimming and her stomach nauseous, Emily could do little else than grunt in pain as she tried desperately to reach her gun which was just out of reach. Before she could even shuffle closer to the desired object, she saw Brad Connors give a quick jolt of shock as he grabbed his stomach. Emily watched as blood spread rapidly over his shirt and began to slip through his clenched fingers. Finally, the tall man fell heavily to his knees and continued until he was lying on his right side, facing Emily.

The injured profiler wondered briefly why she hadn't heard the gunshot ring out. She turned to her left to see Reid bending over Brad and applying pressure to his gushing wound. Then she faced up again and saw Morgan leaning over her with a concerned expression on his handsome face. He was talking to her. It was then that she realized she couldn't hear anything because of the constant ringing in her ears. With her head throbbing, her ears ringing, and her vision swimming, Emily concluded that she most likely had a concussion. Not new to the experience, she also knew this meant she couldn't stay alone tonight and she wouldn't be getting any decent sleep.

Emily lay still and with her eyes closed for what she thought was a few minutes until the ringing in her ears ceased. Finally, she opened her eyes to see that her vision was close to normal. However, the pounding in her head had only grown. Morgan was still bending over her with concern in his eyes, waiting for her to open her eyes. When he saw that she was coherent again, he began speaking, "Prentiss, are you okay?"

_Of course that would be the first question he would ask_, thought Emily as she attempted to sit up, only to have herself pushed back down. Seeing that she wasn't going to get up until she convinced Morgan she was okay, Emily responded, "What do you think? I just got hit in the head with a steal pipe by a crazed serial killer. My head feels like it is about to explode. Of course I'm not okay, but I'll live. Now let me up right now before I hit you over the head with the same pipe."

Morgan chuckled as he stood from his spot and helped Emily rise to her feet. Yeah, she would be fine. But the man winced as he took in Emily's appearance. The place on her head was already bruising heavily. Her scalp was cut just at the hairline on the left side of her face. Her temple and cheek were already a light purplish blue color that would only grow darker with time. With the deep, dark bags until the brunette's eyes and her normally tan skin turning paler by the minute, and Emily Prentiss looked dead on her feet.

Seeing Morgan looking sympathetically in her direction, Emily spoke up, "I'm fine. Stop looking at me like that." Morgan raised his hands in surrender, but she continued, "What happened after I blacked out?"

Morgan was going to respond, but first he had to get something off his chest, "I'm so sorry Emily. When we burst into the room and we saw that girl, I just went into hero mode. I couldn't think of anything other than getting her out of here. I didn't even stop to think that maybe the door had been locked from the inside and that Brad was waiting on us. I was on point and I should have been more attentive. I'm sorry."

Emily sighed as she waited until Morgan was looking her in the eye. Once the eye contact was established, she began, "You have nothing to be sorry for. The woman stunned us all. We were not expecting to find a victim. Hell, I wasn't even expecting to find Brad here. So when I saw her, I had the same reaction you had. If I had been point, I would have done the same thing as you. I would have thought first to save her then thought about clearing the room. Don't be sorry, just fill me in."

Nodding his head in understanding, Morgan knew this was the last that the two of them would discuss the miscalculation. "Well, I guess I'll start with when you got hit. Reid and I were so focused on freeing the victim that we didn't even notice Connors creeping up on us. But we sure as hell heard when he whacked you over the head with that pipe. I had already holstered my gun so I couldn't get to it in time to prevent him from hitting you again. But Reid had sat his gun on the table, so he lifted his and shot Connors. Since Reid took the shot, you know it wasn't fatal. He hit Connors in the stomach and then rushed to apply pressure while we waited for the Paramedics. Finally, they got Connors out and we got the victim off the table. She was okay, just pretty shaken up and beaten. She's at George Washington University Hospital with Connors. They're both gonna live."

Emily looked to the table and saw that the blonde woman was indeed gone. She saw all the medical equipment neatly placed across one of the counters. If she didn't know any better, she would think they were standing in a hospital operating room. After taking in her surroundings, Emily asked, "Gosh Morgan, how long was I out for?"

"At least twenty minutes. They are sending another bus to come get you, too."

Emily's eyes widen as she realized she was going to have to go to the hospital too, "No! Look, I'm fine. I'm standing on my own and talking coherently. I know I have a concussion, but I know what to do for that. I don't need to go to the hospital," she defended in an attempt to convince Morgan.

Morgan smiled as he looked to Emily again. He knew Emily hated hospitals more than anyone else on the team and she actively avoided them at all costs. He responded with a genuine understanding, "It's not me you have to convince Prentiss, Hotch is the one who called for the other bus."

Clenching her jaw in understanding, Emily turned on her heel in search of her boss. Although the quick motion made her dizzy and nauseous, Emily refused to allow that fact to show as she walked up the stairs. "HOTCH!" the brunette agent called out as she entered the living room. She saw no one and heard no one so she walked toward the hallway leading off from the living room, most likely to the bedrooms. Before she went more than two steps down the hall, Rossi stepped out of the room at the end and quickly walked towards Prentiss.

"Hey Prentiss, why don't you come with me?" Rossi asked as he tried to usher the tall brunette back into the living room. He mirror Morgan's grimace of sympathetic pain at the sight of Emily's wound.

Deciding to let that slide for now, Emily responded, "Where's Hotch? I need to tell him I'm fine and will not be making a trip to the hospital this afternoon."

Rossi nervously glanced to the back of the house before responding, "Hotch is at the hospital already. He rode in with Connors to oversee everything. I can release you now if you like. You don't have to go to the hospital if you feel you are okay."

Emily narrowed her eyes as Rossi hurriedly finished his sentence. He was either lying to her or trying to hide something from her. She was going with the latter of the two. Hotch usually had to ride to the hospital with the suspects if they were shot in an altercation. "Rossi, what are you not telling me? I may have a concussion, but I'm not blind."

Emily watched as Rossi slowly swallowed to buy time before answering, she could tell that he was debating on whether to lie to her or to tell her the truth. Finally he began, "It's nothing Prentiss. I'm just worried about you is all. Concussions can be serious."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Emily knew that Rossi had lied. She hated lying more than anything. She watched as Rossi's eyes flicked once more to the back of the house and then settled apprehensively on her face. She could tell the older man was hoping she would just let it drop, but Emily Prentiss was nothing if not stubborn and persistent. So instead of responding to his bold faced lie, Emily turned once more on her heel, a bit too quickly for her injury, and headed confidently down the hall. She vaguely registered Rossi calling her name, begging her not to go further, but she pushed the pleas from her mind.

The confident profiler paused briefly before the closed door Rossi had just left from. Whatever was behind this door was something Rossi didn't want her to see. Taking a deep breath, Emily pushed the door open and stepped inside the master bedroom. What she saw shocked her even more than finding the victim in the basement. Emily immediately fell to her knees and raised a shaking hand to her open mouth.

Covering every inch of wall space in the master bedroom were photos of JJ. JJ with Henry. JJ with Emily. JJ with Henry and Emily. JJ outside her house. JJ at the store. JJ walking into work. JJ holding Henry through the window of the child's room. Every picture on the wall had the blonde media liaison in them. And every picture that happened to have Emily in it as well had red "Xs" across the brunette's face.

Emily prided herself on being able to compartmentalizing everything. She knew people found it unnatural to be able to take things in stride the way she did, but it was the only way she had survived in life as far as she had. But as she kneeled in the floor of Brad Connors' master bedroom with tears continuously streaming down her bloodied face, her compartments broke and shatter under the weight of such an emotional shock. She could not possibly place this into a box and shove it into a dark corner of her mind.

Clenching her jaw and turning her limp hands into tight, white knuckled fists, Emily rose quickly from her position and spun to exit the room. She was immediately confronted with Rossi standing in the doorway. "Move out of my way Rossi. I'm gonna kill that bastard. How DARE he violate JJ and Henry like this! I'll kill that son of a bitch with my bare hands!"

Rossi simply stood more firm in his position. He noticed how Emily didn't mention her own invasion of privacy, just JJ and Henry. He began speaking softly to Emily, "This is what I didn't want you to see Emily. I know you're protective over JJ and Henry; certainly more so than most people are over their blood family. I was only trying to protect you too."

Emily's pale face was now glowing red with rage, "I can't believe you were going to keep this from me. I needed to know. How else do you expect me to protect JJ and Henry without all the details?" Emily fumed as she took a menacing step toward Rossi.

Ready for the reaction, the man held his ground, "It doesn't even matter now Prentiss. Connors is in custody. He can't get to JJ. You have nothing to worry about now. This room can simply serve as research into a serial killer's mind." Emily faltered just briefly before making her way to the door. She made brief eye contact with the older agent as she shoved past him and began storming down the hallway. "Prentiss, where are you going?"

Emily never looked back as answered, "I'm going to find JJ."

Rossi quickly made his way into the living room, chasing after Emily's retreating form and finally caught up to her at the doorway. He grabbed her arm and spun her to face him, "Prentiss, you can't drive in your condition. Just wait a little while and I'll take you to the bullpen myself."

Emily roughly ripped her arm out of Rossi's loose grasp and spun back around to stalk out of the house. "Like hell I can't drive. Just watch me."

And with that, Rossi watch as Emily climbed into the nearest SUV, turned on the blue lights and sirens, and peeled out of the neighborhood. This was exactly the reaction he was hoping to avoid. He was aware of Emily's hidden feelings for the blonde, even if she tried to compartmentalize and ignore them herself. If nothing else, he hoped this would provide a wakeup call for the two women. He was quite frankly tired of all the sexual tension floating around the office daily. Rossi sighed as he turned to head back into the house. He was glad that Hotch hadn't been here. He would have ordered Emily from the room and she would have most likely murdered the man when she found out. As the older agent walked back into the bedroom and looked around, he shuddered in repulsion. There were thousands of pictures pinned to the walls. This obsession had been going on for longer than any of them probably realized. Truth be told, he had a reaction similar to Prentiss'. He would also like to kill Brad Connors' with his bare hands. No one messed with one of his family members and got away with it.

**-IF-**

**A/N: As always, read and review! I'm really interested to see what you guys think about the end of this chapter! Please give me your thoughts. I'd love to read some predictions! **


	13. Embrace

** A/N: THANKS for all the wonderful reviews for the last two chapters! I'm glad you're all still sticking with me! Chapter 14 is with my beta now, so I hope to have that up within the next day or so. It was an emotional chapter to write so I wanted to make sure to get it right! **

**-IF-**

Emily Prentiss did not hear the screech of her tires or smell the stench of burning rubber as she slammed on the brakes in the SUV. She had finally made it back to the BAU and her mind was on little else than seeing JJ. She knew, and completely understood, that she was acting irrationally. Brad Connors had been shot and was currently being treated at the hospital while under constant surveillance. JJ was in no real harm. However, Emily's need, and desire, to see the blonde media liaison was the only thing keeping her from collapsing in both pain and exhaustion.

After the short ride to the BAU floor, the injured profiler tore out of the elevator doors the moment they opened and nearly sprinted to Garcia's lab, where she assumed the duo was camping out. As she reached the door, she flung it open and heard it crash into the wall behind. The sudden and unexpected sound scared Garcia as she sat typing away at her computers. She swiveled in her seat with her hand flying up to grasp at her rapidly beating heart. Seeing it was only a panting Emily, Garcia calmed a bit and began to reprimand, "What the hell was that about?"

Completely ignoring Garcia's question, Emily quickly looked around the room before settling her eyes on the blonde tech, "Where's JJ?"

Drawing her eyebrows together in slight confusion, Garcia responded, "In her office, why?" As Emily turned her head, the tech guru saw the injury and gasped as she rose from her seat, "What happened to your face?"

But once again, Emily did not respond to the question presented to her. Instead, she spun around and left the lab as quickly and mysteriously as she had arrived. Although Garcia wanted to make sure the profiler was alright, she left Emily alone. She figured if the brunette had driven here from the scene and was walking, nay running, around the office, then she must be fine.

Emily felt her head throbbing with each step she took. And the harder she pushed, the more it pulsed. But that didn't stop the athletic profiler from nearly sprinting to JJ's office door. Without knocking, Emily pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside. When she laid eyes on the blonde head of hair bent over a file on the desk, the brunette was finally able to take a much needed breath. Just seeing, with her own two eyes, that JJ was safe and sound, calmed Emily down enough to realize she had been acting irrationally for the past hour.

Hearing her office door open with an unusual amount of force, JJ's head snapped up and took in the sight before her. Emily Prentiss stood in her doorway, panting, with dried blood on the side of her face while swaying dangerously from side to side. After her initial shock, JJ didn't wait another moment before she jumped from her seat to run around the desk and head for the taller woman while asking, "Oh my God! Emily! What happened to you?"

Hearing JJ's fear-laced voice, Emily snapped out of her trance. When JJ reached her, the taller woman reached out and pulled the shorter blonde into a crushing embrace. Tucking the shorter woman's head underneath her chin, Emily closed her eyes and whispered, "Thank God you're okay, Jen."

Shock was a word too inefficient to describe the way JJ was feeling. Not only had the profiler just called her Jen, something that rarely ever happened, but she had also pulled JJ into a fierce embrace. Emily normally didn't initiate any form of physical contact. She had been raised in an environment where physical contact revolved around handshakes and kisses to the cheek. So when the two did embrace or touch, it was _always_ JJ who started it. So to feel the way Emily was holding her, bodies flush together with no space between the two, JJ couldn't react for a few moments. She could feel the way their two bodies molded together to create one perfect shape. JJ wondered briefly if Emily could feel that too.

JJ was finally able to think in coherent sentences, but she found it difficult to do so when she was tucked so tightly into the brunette's lean figure. Wanting nothing more than to stay that way forever, but knowing she needed to find out what was going on, JJ gently pulled back from the tight embrace. She pulled just far enough away to be able to look up at Emily's pale face. From this viewpoint, she could easily see the gash on the right side of Emily's face that was still slightly oozing blood. The bruising had spread down the high cheek bones and was almost to the bottom of the profiler's defined jaw.

Too scared to do much of anything in fear that the profiler would release her from their intimate hold, JJ asked softly, "Of course I'm okay. I've been here the whole time. But God Em, what happened to you?" JJ asked, and then watched in astonishment as a single tear slipped from the corner of Emily's right eye. Without thinking, the blonde raised her hand and gently caught the falling tear with her thumb. But she didn't pull her hand away afterwards. Instead, she gently cupped the injured side of Emily's face in her left hand and tenderly ran her thumb over the bruising.

Emily shut her eyes again against the torrent of emotions that were waging a war within her. She wanted so badly to tell JJ everything because she knew the blonde would find out eventually. But she also knew that if she started talking about the raid, then she would have to explain why she had reacted in such an aggressive way. To explain that, Emily would have to explain to JJ that the blonde and her son were at the center of her world. She simply was not ready for that discussion; and certainly not in the middle of the BAU in JJ's office. So instead, she softly shook her head and willed her silent tears away. She tried desperately to salvage and recreate the walls that had so easily crumbled at the house. But with JJ securely in her arms, the soft scent of the blonde surrounding her, and the tender hand cupping her bruised face, Emily knew she was frantically fighting a losing battle. Accepting the defeat, Emily pulled JJ into her chest once again and held on for a few moments more, savoring the feeling of their bodies formed into one. Finally, taking a deep breath, Emily responded in a voice rough with emotion, "Not now. I just…I can't right now."

Seeing Emily struggling with herself, JJ realized she wasn't going to get any answers from the brunette at the moment. The profiler was exhausted, clearly injured and was obviously not in a state to be questioned for the time being. So nodding her head in understanding, JJ gently separated herself, quite reluctantly, from the brunette's arms. JJ began speaking as she moved towards her desk to grab her belongs and make her way back to Emily, "Come on, let's go then." After receiving a quick nod, JJ Reached out to the brunette, who hadn't moved a muscle, and grabbed her hand to lace their fingers together.

Leading the profiler from her office, JJ stopped by Emily's desk and grabbed her purse and belongs as well. With everything in tow, the media liaison headed towards the elevator. Once the two women were inside, JJ realized that Emily was allowing her leave the office. Deducing that the team must have apprehended Brad Connors, JJ hoped the case was closed; or at least close to being closed. Before they reached the floor for the parking garage, JJ pulled out her phone to send a text to Garcia telling her she was leaving with Emily and she would fill her in later.

As the two reached Emily's black Range Rover, she finally questioned, "Where are we going?"

JJ paused to respond as she guided Emily to her Range Rover and opened the passenger side door for her. When the brunette stood stationary, JJ knew she wouldn't budge until she got some answers. "I'm taking you home. You're exhausted and injured and I need to take a look at that cut on your head. It may need stitches…"

"I'm not going to the hospital," Emily said with finality after she interrupted JJ. Ever since her ordeal in Rome, she avoided the sterile waiting rooms and overall depressing atmosphere at all costs.

"I'm not going to take you to the hospital. Just please get in the car so I can take you home. I need to take care of you since you're obviously not going to do it yourself," JJ replied as she finally helped Emily climb into the passenger seat. After she shut the door, she quickly made her way to the driver's side before climbing into the other seat. After fixing the mirrors and seat to fit her height, JJ pulled out from the parking spot. She was nervous to drive the SUV that Emily quite often referred to as 'her baby.' The car was worth more than JJ made in a year, quite a bit more.

When JJ set her hand down on the gear shift to put the car in drive, she felt Emily's larger hand grab hers and pull it into her lap. The action was so unexpected that JJ had to stop for a moment just to be sure it was actually happening. As she looked over, she saw Emily gazing at her with appreciation shining in her light brown eyes. Knowing that nothing needed to be said, JJ smiled warmly at Emily and turned to focus back on the road. She used one hand to steer as she gripped Emily's a little tighter with the other. She laced their fingers together, once again, in a perfect fit.

When JJ pulled from the parking garage, Emily noticed almost immediately that she wasn't heading in the direction of either the blonde's house or the house of her parents, but instead was going towards Emily's downtown condo. Quickly speaking up, Emily said, "Wait, what about Henry?"

Shaking her head calmly, JJ answered, "I need to take care of you right now. I can't do that with a four year old running around. He can stay at my parent's house for the night and I'll get him tomorrow."

Feeling the guilt swell inside her stomach, Emily quickly responded, "No, please JJ. I know how much you miss him when we're away or when you have to work so much. I'll not allow you to miss out on more time with him on my account. Please turn around and go pick him up. You can drop me off at my condo and just take my car back to your house. I'll use my other car if I need to go anywhere," Emily finished. Honestly, she needed to see Henry almost as much as she had needed to see JJ earlier.

Hearing the plea in Emily's voice and feeling the hold on her hand tighten, JJ knew that Emily didn't just_ want_ to see Henry, but rather she _needed_ to see him. So she simply nodded as she started to head towards her parent's house to pick up her boisterous son.

On the drive over, JJ felt the hold on her hand slacken. When she looked over, she saw that Emily had finally succumbed to her exhaustion and had fallen asleep with her head propped up against the window. Not wanting to disturb Emily, but really not wanting to let the feeling go, JJ continued to hold the warm hand in her own. When she finally reached her parent's house, she pulled into the drive and cut the SUV off. She was just going to leave Emily in the car while she went to get Henry. Slowly drawing her hand from the light grasp, JJ exited the vehicle and entered the house through the garage.

As soon as she walked into the living room, Henry catapulted himself into his mother's waiting arms and began talking ninety miles a minute, "Oh Mommy! I'm so glad to see you! Can we go home now? Is Aunt Emmy staying wif us again?"

JJ immediately realized that Henry was over his bad mood from earlier this morning. Smiling at her son's inquiry about Emily, JJ responded, "Actually buddy. Guess what? We're staying at Aunt Emmy's house tonight."

The way her son's bright blue eyes lit up warmed her heart. He quickly jumped out of her arms and began to gather his things to take home, all the while talking to his mother, "Weally? I am so happy! We are going to have the bestest time! Maybe Aunt Emmy will take us to that ice cweam shop. Can I have ice cweam tonight Mommy?"

Sighing heavily as JJ bent down to help Henry gather his things, JJ saw her parents walk in the room. She gave them a small smile and a slight nod as she continued to talk with Henry, "Probably not tonight Henry. See, Emily isn't feeling good. She got a boo-boo today at work and she needs the two of us to take care of her. Do you think you can help me with that buddy?"

Henry stopped gathering his toys as he gazed into his mother's eyes and responded, "Yes ma'am. I can be weal quiet and be weal gentle and take weal good care of Aunt Emmy. Just like you take weal good care of me, Mommy. I pwomise."

"Okay then, it's a deal. And if you take extra good care of her and you are an extra good boy, I'll make sure to buy you some ice cream tomorrow. How does that sound?" JJ responded as she ruffled Henry's blonde hair.

Henry simply nodded his head as he resumed picking up his toys and getting ready to leave. JJ slowly made her way to her parents as she left her son to clean up after himself. When she reached the duo, her dad was the first to speak up, "Is everything alright, Sport?"

JJ grinned slightly at her old nickname, but the smile quickly fell as she began telling them what she knew, which wasn't much, "I don't know, Daddy. One minute, I'm working in my office finishing some paperwork and waiting to hear from Hotch. Then the next thing I know, Emily is bursting into my office with blood and deep bruising all over her face. I really have no idea what is going on. I do know that I'll eventually find out from someone. But for right now, I need to take care of Emily," JJ finished as she turned to check on Henry's progress. She wanted to hurry up and get Emily to bed.

She turned back around when she heard her mother speak up, "Well why don't you leave Henry here, Sweetheart? It would make taking care of Emily so much easier." 

JJ sighed as she responded, "I actually tried that, but Emily insisted I come pick him up. Whatever happened today really shook her up. I think she needs to see Henry, just like she needed to see me earlier." As she looked at her parents, she saw them both nod their heads in understanding. When JJ turned back around, she saw Henry standing there with his bag in hand, patiently waiting on her so they could leave. "Alright, you ready little man?"

Henry rapidly nodded his head as he took his mother's hand into his own and walked with her to the garage door. Before they left, mother and son turned to kiss the Jareau's goodbye and to exchange 'I love yous.' When the two closed the garage door behind them, JJ bent down to Henry's level to speak with him again, "Henry, Emily is in the car right now, but she is asleep. So you have to be very quiet so you don't wake her up. Okay?" Receiving a nod, JJ rose and led Henry to the side of the car with his car seat. After getting her son buckled into his car seat, JJ walked around the car to climb into the driver's side. Checking to make sure Emily was still asleep, the blonde reached over and grabbed the brunette's hand in hers once more. Pulling out of the driveway, the trio silently made their way to the brunette's condo.

**-IF-**

**A/N: This was a little short, but only because the next chapter is super long : ) I am really happy with how this chapter turned out! Please let me know what you thought and let me know what you want to see happen. I'll do my best to incorporate it into the story! I want to keep you all interested : ) **


	14. Cleaned Up

**A/N: This chapter is longer so I hope you enjoy it! As always, thanks to my AMAZING beta! She was proofing this while in pain and feeling sick! YOU'RE THE BEST!**

*****Calling all CM readers and authors! Join us for our first ever Profiler's Choice CM Awards on ! Help us choose the best of the best of the CM stories on , and let your voice be heard. Anyone with a account is eligible to nominate. Please check out the nominating ballot and rules at Chit Chat on Author's Forum at .net/topic/74868/30888142/1/.****All****rules and information are on the forum*****

**-IF-**

Once JJ pulled the SUV pulled into Emily's garage, Henry, who would normally begin squirming in his seat and begging to be let out, sat patiently and waited for JJ to come release him. Granted he knew how to get out of his seat, but he had gotten into a lot of trouble one day by Emily when she had discovered his new trick. In an effort to make Emily happier, Henry never again released himself from his car seat.

When JJ finally sat Henry on the ground, she grabbed the small boys hand and all of the bags from inside the car and made her way to the kitchen door. Using Emily's keys to unlock the door, she walked in and sat the bags beside the island in the middle of the kitchen. If someone didn't know Emily had money, the moment they walked into the profiler's condo it would become blatantly obvious. The condo not only overlooked the National Mall of downtown Washington, DC, but it was also professionally decorated with leather furniture, original photography hung on the walls, and it was large and spacious. The condo had three bedrooms, with the master being on the first floor and the two guest rooms upstairs. That didn't include Emily's personal office with bookshelves covering every inch of wall space except for the full window-wall that had the same view as the living room. JJ had been to Emily's condo on many occasions, but every time, the view and the 'Emily-ness' of the place took her breath away. Finally shaking herself out of her gaze over the monuments, JJ bent down to talk to Henry, "Okay buddy, I need you to go watch television while I go get Emily. Do you know how to work Emily's TV?" the blonde asked. She prayed her son did because the flat screen TV, blu-ray DVD and surround sound system, and digital cable box all ominously peered at her from the living room.

"Yes ma'am. But I want to see Aunt Emmy," Henry replied in a whine.

Responding in a firm voice, showing she wasn't kidding around, JJ said, "Henry, you'll see her in a few minutes. I just need to help her get cleaned up and get into bed. I promise I'll come get you when she's ready."

Dropping his head slightly, Henry whispered, "Okay Mommy," before heading towards the living room and expertly turning on the system to watch Power Rangers.

JJ gratefully turned to head back into the garage to retrieve Emily. She wanted to get the blood off of Emily before her son saw it and got scared. When she reached the passenger door, she gently opened it and reached to unbuckle the sleeping brunette. Once she was unbuckled, JJ gently shook Emily and waited for her to wake up. The media liaison, not a stranger to concussions, knew that the profiler shouldn't stay asleep for longer than an hour at a time. She also knew it was going to be difficult to keep waking Emily up because she was already exhausted from lack of rest. When she didn't receive a response, JJ began to speak as she gently continued to shake the sleeping agent, "Come on Emily, you've got to wake up. I have to get you all cleaned up because Henry is dying to see you. Come on, just open those eyes for me."

At last, after about a minute of whispering and shaking, Emily opened her heavy eyes. She recoiled slightly from the bright sun streaming in the garage window, but was able to eventually hold her eyes open. When she became aware of her surroundings, Emily could feel the soft weight of JJ's small hand on her upper arm while the blonde's other hand was wrapped tightly, with fingers laced, around her own larger one. Altogether, it wasn't the worse way to wake up. But then she felt the uncontrollable throbbing in her head roar to life and the day's events came tumbling back into her memory. That's when she tightened her grip on JJ's hand and raised her tired eyes to look into the calm pools of blue directly above her. In those eyes, Emily could see unhidden fear and concern glowing.

Seeing that Emily was finally coming to, JJ began to help the brunette from the car and steady her on her feet. Once Emily was stable, JJ simply kept their hands laced together and led her into the kitchen door and towards the master bedroom, which also housed the master bathroom. Although JJ had been in Emily's condo plenty of times, she had never been inside the profiler's bedroom. And when she entered, she could immediately see Emily written all over it. From the simple but expensive black furniture and the white, down-comforter with black silk sheets to the black and white photography hanging above the bed, the room screamed Emily.

Walking into the bathroom, JJ set Emily down on the side of the large tub. Turning to survey the vanity, JJ saw the modernistic design in place here also; with the black granite counter top and white porcelain bowl sitting on top. Yes, Emily had a lot of money. Breaking the silence, JJ asked, "Where is your first aid kit?"

With both hands braced on the edges of the tub to hold her up Emily replied, "Uhm, I think it's in the vanity above the sink. If it's not there, then it's under the sink in the second drawer."

After retrieving the kit from the second drawer, JJ also grabbed a wash cloth and wet it with warm water before turning around to face Emily once more. With the brunette perched on the side of the tub, she was at the perfect height for JJ to easily care for the gash on her head. The blonde drew nearer to Emily and placed the first aid kit on the side of the tub beside Emily. With the wash cloth in hand, JJ brought the warm cloth up to Emily's face and began to gently wipe the area around the wound. Careful not to hurt Emily, JJ paid close attention to where she was wiping and the amount of pressure she was applying.

Emily lifted her eyes to take in the blonde standing in front of her. In order to get better access, the small woman had stepped close to the brunette with one leg on the outside of Emily's right leg and the other leg in between Emily's. The nearness of the blonde's body did nothing to help the profiler breathe or think straight. She watched as JJ concentrated on not hurting her. She had pulled a corner of her bottom lip in between her teeth and furrowed her eyebrows together in an effort to better focus.

Just as Emily was looking at the deep blue eyes and getting lost in them, she flinched suddenly and sucked in a pained gasp as she recoiled from JJ's tender grasp. Opening her eyes, she saw a look of fear flash across JJ's face before she began spewing out apologies, "Oh Emily, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, I just wanted to be sure that the wound was clean. I'm so, so sorry!"

Emily forced a tired smile as she slowly leaned back into JJ's touch. She was quick to correct the blonde woman, "Please don't apologize. It's not your fault, JJ. I have Brad Connors to thank for all of this," Emily finished with venom in her voice.

JJ resumed cleanly Emily's bloodied face when the profiler put her head back into the waiting palm. Hearing that Emily was finally mentioning the afternoon's events, JJ was surprised, and extremely angry, that Brad Connors was the one who had harmed Emily. Needing to know more, JJ pushed Emily for more information, "Emily, tell me what happened today. Please." Knowing that Emily was tired and not feeling well, JJ figured she'd be able to coerce the information from her sooner or later.

Hearing the pleading in the blonde's voice and seeing the rage building in her eyes, Emily knew she couldn't put off the inevitable any longer. So she began to tell about the raid, starting from when the team left the BAU. A few minutes into the story, JJ abandoned the wash cloth altogether and allowed her fingers to caress Emily's soft, bruised skin as her palms cupped the brunette's face.

As Emily neared the end of recounting the events, she started getting emotional, as though she was trying to hold back tears. JJ looked deep in the light brown eyes to see that the walls that were normally there and guarding the delicate heart had fallen and all but disappeared. Now, what JJ saw was worry, pain, and most of all, fear. The brunette was terrified. And as JJ listened to her recount the rest of the story about the room and the pictures, she understood why.

But JJ also understood that Connors was at the hospital and would not be a threat to her any longer. They found a live witness who would be able to testify against Brad Connors and there was undeniable evidence to convict the man of murder. JJ could see that although this was the logical answer, Emily's protective streak prevented her from seeing this as well. So she raised her other hand so that she was now cupping Emily's face in her small hands. JJ forced the brown eyes to meet her own blue stare. As a tear escaped Emily's barrier for the second time that day, JJ was sure to catch it again. After she was sure she had Emily's attention, JJ said in a firm voice, "Emily, nothing is going to happen now. Brad Connors has been apprehended. I'm safe. Henry's safe. You're safe. Everything is going to be fine."

Emily shut her eyes tightly to prevent more tears from falling. She knew JJ was right, but she also knew that her gut instinct throughout this entire case had been right, too. She wished so badly that she could reconstruct her rock solid walls and place them back up as barriers, but she knew that the emotional shock of this whole case and done irreparable damage to them. After years of constructing her walls to perfection, the fear of losing JJ and Henry had shattered them in a matter of seconds. When she opened her eyes again to stare into JJ's watery blue ones, she knew she would never be able to fully keep the blonde out again. Finally finding her voice, Emily responded, "I know that JJ. I promise I do. But don't you see? I was right. You were the end all, be all for this guy. All those other women were just to hold him over until he could get to you."

Reaching up to grab JJ's wrists in order to make the blonde understand she was serious, Emily continued, "I don't think you understand, JJ. You and Henry are my life, my family. Yeah, I've got the rest of the guys and I've got Morgan, but it's not the same. What I have with you, I've never had before with anyone, including my parents. Hell, I'd never even had a real best friend who didn't have a politically driven ulterior motive until I met you. I _cannot_ lose you and Henry. I wouldn't be able to survive, let alone function, without you. Today, seeing those pictures and seeing that room, I realized how close he came to taking you from me. How do we know that you wouldn't have been his next target? I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you, Jen," Emily finished with conviction in her voice and fire in her eyes.

JJ swallowed heavily as the emotions rolled through her in waves. Emily had never, _ever_, been this open with the blonde. And to hear those words come out of the brunette's mouth, JJ was left speechless. She knew the profiler had a way with words, but she didn't know just how moved and touched she would be when those emotional words were directed at her. JJ wanted nothing more than to lean forward and finish the kiss that had been stolen from them earlier in the afternoon, but she knew now was not the time for their first kiss. Instead, she leaned in and placed a soft kiss to Emily's forehead, right beside the gash, and pulled back to look into the deep brown eyes once more. Finally, after an intense silence, JJ said, "I promise, that no matter what, I would fight to get back to you and to Henry. You need to know that you have quickly become our family, too. But for today, for right now, we don't need to worry about 'what if's' and 'maybe's.' Instead we need to focus on the fact that we caught a bad guy and locked him up so he couldn't hurt anyone, anymore. We need to focus on the fact that you're okay, I'm okay, and we're here with Henry. We just need to focus on us, our family."

Emily maintained eye contact as she nodded her head in understanding. She then pulled JJ's hands from her face and placed a gentle kiss to the palm of each one. JJ shivered involuntarily at the contact. She could certainly get used to the feel of Emily's soft lips on her skin. But what was more important was the fact that Emily had just done something so intimate. JJ was used to being the one to initiate any contact as she had in this instance as well by placing her hands on Emily's battered face. But Emily had gone farther than she ever had before by placing the kisses to each palm. JJ quickly realized that while she might begin any contact, Emily was certainly the one who knew what to do, when to do it, and how to do it to make JJ weak in the knees.

Knowing that right now was not the time to dwell on those types of thoughts, JJ stepped back from Emily with a regretful look in her blue eyes. Pulling the profiler to her feet, JJ explained, "Well, I cleaned your head up at much as I could. I don't think it needs stitches, but we'll have to put a bandage on it. Why don't you take a shower and get ready for bed while I go get Henry ready as well? He's dying to see you, but I can hold him off for a little while longer," JJ finished with a small smile.

Emily returned JJ's smile with one of her own as she stood steadily. She was feeling a bit better after talking to JJ, but then, that was usually the case regardless of the situation. Not quite ready for the moment to be over though, Emily stepped forward and wrapped the smaller woman into a second tight embrace. She placed a soft kiss to the blonde's forehead and pulled away from the hug. Seeing the bright glow shining in JJ's blue eyes, Emily knew she had done the right thing. After a few seconds of looking into each other's eyes, Emily spoke up, "Okay, well I shouldn't be too long. I want to see Henry as much as he wants to see me."

And so JJ walked out of the bathroom with a disbelieving nod. When she shut the door, she lifted her hand to the place Emily had just left a kiss. It was still on fire, just as her palms were. JJ's smile grew wider as she walked from the room to find her son. This was shaping up to be a great evening, despite the reason her and Henry were here.

**-IF-**

Twenty minutes later, Emily emerged from her bedroom in athletic running shorts and a blue tank top. She paused for a moment as she stood to watch JJ holding Henry on the couch while the two watched Power Rangers. She would never tire of watching JJ interact with her son as they showcased how much they loved each other with simple displays like right now. Emily recognized the episode as one she had watched with Henry on several occasions. The joys of reruns. Before taking her shower, Emily had popped a few Excedrin Migraine pills to try and quell the aching throb of her head, so as she strolled to the couch, she was able to actually walk in a straight line.

When Emily sat down next to the two blondes, Henry immediately sprang from his mother's arms to jump into Emily's waiting ones. Before he could make it to the brunette however, JJ pulled Henry back into her chest and said to him, "Remember what Mommy said about Aunt Emmy having a boo-boo? You can't just jump on her like you usually do, buddy. You've got to be careful and gentle, okay?"

After receiving an enthusiastic nod from the boy and hearing him say, "Yes ma'am," JJ let him go and watched as he slowly crawled towards Emily and settled gently in her arms. Emily instantly wrapped the small boy in her arms by placing a hand to the back of his head and another around his back. Henry let Emily hold him as he laid his head down on her left shoulder, away from the hurt side of her face. He quickly wrapped his small arms around Emily's neck and then began to speak, "I'm sowwy you got hurt today at work Aunt Emmy. Mommy said you caught a bad man, but he hurt you first. But I pwomised Mommy that I would help take care of you. I'll give you a million-billion kisses to make it all better."

Emily took a deep and shuddering breath as she listened to the words coming from Henry. She knew the boy was intuitive for his age and also much more loving than most little boys, but to hear him speak so softly and sweetly moved Emily to the core. The brunette opened her watery eyes to make eye contact with JJ who was still sitting next to the two. She saw that JJ had tears in her eyes as well while watching the exchange. Eventually Emily responded, "Thanks Champ. You and your Mommy are going to have me all fixed up in no time."

JJ observed as Emily placed a soft kiss to the top of Henry's blonde head. When she looked into Emily's eyes, she could see the love glowing there. Not just love for the small boy, but love for JJ as well. The sight, usually kept locked behind impenetrable barriers, took JJ by surprise. She was still getting used to Emily being so open. After a moment of quiet comfort, JJ said, "Alright buddy. We need to get a band-aid put onto Emily's cut and then we need to tuck her into bed. She needs to go to sleep so she can get better faster."

Henry, not wanting to leave the brunette's arms, tightened his grip around Emily's neck. He frantically responded, "No Mommy, please don't take Aunt Emmy away!"

JJ watched as Emily tightened her hold on Henry as well. She saw how the profiler was trying to comfort the small boy, but also comfort herself. She knew that the day had shaken the brunette. She also knew that this is just what was needed by all. Emily needed the physical comfort of Henry in her arms, of JJ taking care of her, to know that everything was going to be okay. Before JJ could speak up to reassure Henry that she wasn't taking Emily away, the brunette spoke up first, "I'm not going anywhere Champ. How about you come with your Mother and I to get this cut cleaned up. How does that sound?"

Henry nodded his head as he slowly climbed out of Emily's arms. He seemed to know that the profiler wouldn't have been able to carry him. But as she stood up, he quickly reached up and grabbed onto her hand, in an attempt to keep some form of comfort from physical contact. Emily simply smiled down at the little boy. He seemed to always know exactly what to do. JJ smiled as well before she reached forward and grabbed Emily's other hand and intertwining their fingers again. It felt as though once the two had held hands earlier, JJ couldn't get enough of the sensation.

The blonde mother led the trio back into Emily's bathroom and she set the brunette on the tub again. Henry instantly climbed into Emily's lap and wrapped his arms back around her neck. He laid a quick kiss to Emily's left cheek and then laid his head down on her shoulder. Emily wrapped her arms automatically around Henry's small body and smiled widely at his display of love. This is just what she needed.

JJ brought out the antiseptic to slather onto the gash on Emily's head. Before she did that, she looked down into Emily's eyes and whispered, "This is probably going to sting, especially since you have such a huge cut."

Emily only nodded as she prepared for the sting of the antiseptic. She wasn't quite as prepared as she thought because as soon as the cloth touched her cut, she sucked in a pained gasped and winced. Henry, being so close to Emily, quickly turned around to look at his mother before saying, "Hey Mommy! Don't hurt Aunt Emmy's boo-boo!"

Before JJ could recover from her shock at hearing her son's demand, Emily reassured the small boy in her arms, "It's okay Champ. Your Mommy isn't hurting me on purpose, she's just trying to clean it."

After looking forcefully at his mother for a moment more, Henry turned back around, placed another kiss on Emily's cheek, and tucked his head once more into the crook of Emily's neck. Seeing that her son had calmed down a bit, JJ began cleaning the wound again. Emily was better about not making any sounds, but JJ could see the pain clouding her light brown eyes. Not wanting to hurt her anymore than Henry wanted her to, JJ finished the process as quickly as she could.

Once Emily could tell that JJ was done, she slowly lifted Henry and set him on the ground so she could stand up as well. Not wanting her night to be over with the Jareau's just yet, Emily attempted to distract JJ so she wouldn't send her straight to bed. "Well, now that that's all done, let's go finish watching Power Rangers."

JJ almost lost her train of thought as she felt Emily's hand run down the length of her arm to finally grab onto her own, smaller hand. But after a moment of silence, JJ realized what Emily was trying to do, and she knew that she couldn't let the brunette stay up any longer. But before she could say anything to argue, Henry spoke up from below, "No Aunt Emmy, you need to go to bed. Mommy said you are weally tired and I know that your boo-boo is huwting. Me and Mommy are going to tuck you in and you are going to bed," the small boy said with finality.

Emily just stared down at Henry with a shocked expression on her face. Never had she imagined that the four year old boy would be bossing her around, and never had she imagined that she would be listening to him. Not being able to find the words to respond, Emily allowed herself to be dragged into her bedroom by Henry as she subsequently dragged JJ along behind her. When they reached the side of her bed, Emily watched as JJ finally found her ability to talk and take action as the blonde folded down the white comforter and black sheets while saying, "Henry's right Emily, you need to get some rest. Granted, I'll have to come check on you regularly and wake you up because of the likelihood that you have a concussion, but you need to get what sleep you can."

Emily only nodded as she climbed into bed and pulled the covers up around her body. She felt a small weight dip the side of her bed as JJ placed Henry on top so he could say goodnight to her. The little blonde boy moved to Emily's side carefully. When he reached her side, he leaned over with the utmost care and placed the lightest, most gentle kiss to Emily's forehead. Then he moved on to rub their noses together in their typical "Eskimo Kiss" and then placed a final kiss to Emily's bruised right cheek. When he finished, he looked into Emily's eyes and said, "Goodnight and sweet dweams, Aunt Emmy. I love you with my whole heart."

Unable to hide her emotions at the way Henry tucked her in like she so often tucked him in, Emily reached up and grabbed Henry's tiny face in her large hands and whispered, "I love you, too, Henry. I love you with my whole heart, too, Champ." And she brought the little boy's head to her lips and placed a soft kiss to his forehead. When they were finished, JJ picked Henry up off the bed and bent down to his level, whispering to him to go watch TV while she tucked Emily in too.

JJ watched her son run out of the room and close the door. She stood, staring at the door for a moment as she wiped the tears from her eyes. The scene had been so touching and sweet that she was almost overwhelmed. Her mind flashed back to her talk with Garcia about Henry being Emily's kryptonite, and the blonde knew that at this moment, that couldn't be more true. She also knew that she was going to start using that her advantage at this moment, too.

So JJ turned to face Emily once again. She walked up to the bedside and took a warm hand into her own. She thought briefly to herself that she was already addicted to the feeling of their hands locked together. Looking into Emily's eyes, JJ saw the remnants of more tears drying at the corners of the light brown eyes. The scene had touched the profiler as well. Reaching her hand up, JJ caressed the right side of Emily's face tenderly. She watched as Emily's eyes closed in contentment and she felt as the brunette leaned her head into the touch.

Not being able to stand the silence anymore, JJ spoke up, "I've never heard you say that before."

Opening her eyes to look into the blue ones in front of her, Emily asked, "You've never heard me say what?"

"Say the word 'love.' And not just the phrase, 'I love you,' I mean I've never heard the word '_love'_ come out of your mouth before," JJ answered as her hand continued to softly stroke the side of Emily's face.

Emily's eyes dawned in understanding, "That's because I've never said it before. But your son has a way of making me do things I never thought I'd say or do. He is much like his mother in that respect," Emily finished without thinking. The pounding in her head was returning with a vengeance and she wasn't thinking clearly, which in turn was making her say things she'd normally never say.

But JJ heard every word. And with Garcia's words echoing in her mind, JJ said, "Well, in that case, maybe I should follow his lead then." And JJ did. She leaned down slowly and placed a soft, but lingering kiss, on Emily's head, right beside her bandage. She placed a kiss on each eyelid of the brunette after seeing she had closed her eyes. Then, bypassing the Eskimo kiss, JJ leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to Emily's full lips.

Emily was too shocked to respond for a moment, but she quickly reacted by bringing her hands up to cup JJ's small face. The kiss was gentle and nothing more than two people conveying their feelings for one another, but it expressed more emotions than JJ could have said or Emily could have responded too. They had both wanted this for so long, but neither of them knew the other's secret desires. Pulling back slowly, JJ followed Emily's earlier lead and placed gentle kisses to the inside of each palm. When she looked into Emily's light brown eyes, she saw the need and the happiness swirling together. After a moment of comfortable silence, JJ whispered, "Not quite how I wanted our first kiss to happen, but I couldn't wait any longer. Especially after this afternoon, in my office, before your press conference. God, all I want to do is keep kissing you Em, but not like this. For now, this will have to suffice, until I can kiss you properly." With that, JJ placed another lingering kiss to Emily's bruised forehead and rose from her stooped position.

Emily felt her cheeks flush as she nodded her head gently and then watched as JJ retreated from the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. On any other day, on any other occasion, Emily would file this interaction away into one of her compartments to be picked apart in detail at a later time. However, with the increasing pain in her head and her compartments all but crushed from the emotional weight of the day, Emily Prentiss instead fell asleep with a soft smile gracing her elegant face and the feel of JJ's kiss still tingling on her lips.

**-IF-**

**A/N: I hope this was worth the wait of the last, shorter chapter! Much more fluffiness/drama to come! Let me know what you thought…and what you want to see happen next…**


	15. Nightmare

**A/N: Thanks for the amazing reviews from last chapter! As always, I asked for suggestions and a reviewer named ****Azrael gave a great one. So the beginning is for you! I hope you like it!**

**-IF-**

The sleeping blonde woman sat straight up with a start. She took in her unusual surroundings from her perch on the leather couch as she tried to determine what woke her up. Recognizing that she was in Emily's living room after a moment, JJ's beating heart calmed down slightly. She had decided to stay on the large couch because she had to wake up every hour to in turn wake Emily up because of the head injury. Besides, it was much easier to walk from the living room to the master bedroom than to trudge up and down the stairs. As JJ looked down at her phone, which was currently acting as her hourly alarm clock, she saw that it had only been a mere twenty seven minutes since she'd last been in to see Emily. Seeing that her alarm wasn't what had startled her awake, JJ focused once more on her surroundings.

After a few moments of silence, JJ heard a strangled sob coming from Emily's bedroom. Realizing that sound was what had pulled her from a light slumber and that something was wrong, JJ quickly sprang from her seated position and ran into the profiler's room, straight to her bedside. Gazing down with troubled eyes, JJ watched for a moment as Emily, covered in sweat, rolled toward the middle of the bed, leaving a tear stained pillow in her wake.

Not being able to stand the heart wrenching sight any longer, JJ climbed onto the edge of the king size bed to reach for Emily, who had migrated to the center. When JJ was kneeling by Emily's trembling body, she reached out and wrapped her hands around her right shoulder and pulled the brunette onto her back. JJ then grabbed each muscular shoulder in her small hands and proceeded to softly shake Emily, in the hopes she could get the brunette to open her eyes. However, like all night, Emily resisted waking up and remained immersed in her nightmare. Finally, JJ began talking to her in a soothing voice, "Emily, come on, you've got to wake up. You're having a nightmare. Please, just open those big, brown eyes so I can show you that what you're seeing right now, it isn't real. Come on, Emily…"

Emily Prentiss felt the soft weight of small hands moving from her shoulders, through her hair, and resting on her face. And she heard the mumble of gentle words coming from far away. But she was locked in a nightmare so vivid, she was certain that the comforting gestures were just a dream. When the words began to get more desperate in pitch, the brunette fought to the surface from the terrifying place her mind had drifted.

JJ watched as Emily sat straight up in bed with a gasping and shuddering breath. Not wasting any time, JJ grabbed the brunette and brought her into a calm embrace while running her fingers lightly through the dark brown locks. As she lowered Emily's head to her shoulder, the blonde continued to whisper, "It's okay, Em. It was all just a dream. You're okay now. I'm here, you're here, and we're okay. Just calm down and breathe for me."

Emily felt as her ragged breaths became more even with each comforting word tumbling from JJ's mouth. But as she allowed herself to be soothed, her mind drifted back to the nightmare that had gripped her so strongly. She couldn't shake the image of Brad Connors torturing JJ while she stood by and helplessly watched with a sobbing Henry in her arms. As the image took a hold of her again, Emily clutched more desperately to JJ's tiny frame as she reluctantly succumbed to the wracking sobs overtaking her body.

JJ's heart broke at hearing Emily lose control of herself. The brunette, who rarely let any emotions through her tough exterior, was now falling apart in her arms; and there was nothing she could do about it. So she did the only thing she knew how to do. JJ continued to whisper words of soothing comfort to Emily as she stroked her silky hair and rubbed her toned back. She wanted so badly to know what the nightmare had been about, but she could also tell that she would probably never find out. Especially if it elicited this kind of reaction from the normally stoic profiler. After quite a while, JJ felt Emily's sobs subside until they ceased completely. Next came the even breathing as JJ felt Emily's body relax while it fell into another fitful slumber. Knowing the brunette needed as close to a decent night sleep as she could get, JJ moved to lay Emily back down on her pillow.

As JJ was slowly crawling off the bed, trying not to awaken Emily again, the blonde felt a firm hand wrap around her wrist. Looking up, JJ met Emily's brown eyes as the brunette spoke up for the first time, "No Jen, please don't go."

Emily's raspy voice sent a wave of shivers coursing through the blonde's body. But hearing the desperate and lost tone in the brunette's voice, JJ knew she couldn't deny this simple request. So the blonde simply nodded in understanding as she crawled back onto the bed to lie on her back next to Emily. Before she settled into her spot, JJ felt Emily grab her arm and bring it to rest across her flat stomach. JJ, having dreamt of being in this position for years, easily lost her ability to breathe and move at the same time. So she laid there for a moment until she heard Emily whisper, almost too quietly for her to hear, "Hold me, Jen. Just for tonight."

Once again, not having the words to respond, JJ nodded her head silently and positioned herself behind the taller brunette. She wrapped her arm tightly around Emily's taut stomach and laid her hand flat on the warm surface. She then slid her body so that it was tight against Emily's, leaving no space in between. For the umpteenth time, JJ acknowledged how her body molded perfectly with Emily's. All the brunette's curves fit just right with hers. Wanting to enjoy the moment for all it's worth, JJ lay awake for a long time. She felt Emily's breathing even out as she fell into a comfortable slumber. She felt as Emily shifted slightly and pulled JJ's arm tighter around her torso. She felt when Emily snuggled deeper into her own chest. And she definitely felt when Emily laced her fingers through JJ's that were still placed on the brunette's stomach.

JJ hummed to herself in contentment. This was better than anything she had ever dreamed of. As she felt herself drifting off into a pleasant slumber, she placed a chaste kiss to Emily's shoulder blade and whispered, "Every night."

**-IF -**

Emily groaned slightly as she cracked one eye open only to quickly shut it again in an attempt to keep out the glaring sun spilling into her bedroom window. She was suddenly grateful that JJ had talked to Hotch and he had approved for them both to have the day off. Although she was fairly certain it was more of an order on Hotch's part rather than JJ seeking approval, she was going to enjoy it. But before the brunette allowed herself to drift back into her good dream, she opened her one eye again to stare in front of her because something just didn't seem right.

Finally forcing both of her groggy eyes open, Emily found herself staring into Henry's mischievously sparkling blue orbs. Before she could voice her curiosity as to why Henry was staring so intently at her sleeping, the small blonde boy began, "Are you my Daddy now?"

Not quite expecting that question, Emily fumbled for a response, "When…how…wait…what are you talking about Henry?"

The young boy simply propped his elbows onto the edge of the bed and set his small chin down on top of his waiting knuckles. After a moment of silence, he answered, "Well, Fwankie said…"

Interrupting Henry before he could go any farther, Emily questioned, "Who is Frankie?"

Huffing a sigh in irritation, showing Emily that she should know Frankie, Henry explained, "Fwankie is a boy who lives next to Gwandma and Gwandpa who I play wif sometimes. _Anyways,_ Fwankie says that he has a Mommy and a Daddy. He asked me where my Daddy was but I didn't know _what_ a Daddy was. So he told me that his Daddy is always awound his Mommy and dat his Mommy and Daddy sleep togefer in the same woom. Well, you and my Mommy are always togefer and now you are sleeping in the same woom. So, are you my Daddy now?"

That's when Emily realized the position she was in. She was lying with her back pressed firmly into JJ's chest with the blonde's arm tightly wrapped around her stomach and JJ's head nestled into the back of her neck, tickling as she breathed in and out. The desire that began coursing through her body did not help Emily remember exactly how she had ended up in this position. She had been dreaming of being with JJ in this way since the day she met the blonde. Granted, most of those dreams had involved Emily holding the blonde, but this turn of events was just as rewarding and stimulating.

Looking at Henry, who was patiently waiting for an answer, she recalled her late night melt down and how she had begged JJ to stay with her. Not wanting to leave her position curled up with JJ, but desperately trying to find a way out of this situation, Emily rose slowly from the bed. She cringed internally as she felt JJ's arm slide off her body and fall unceremoniously to the mattress. After freeing herself from the sheets, Emily grabbed an FBI hoodie she kept on a chair nearby and tossed it on before grabbing Henry's hand and leading him out of her room. If she was going to talk to the child, she didn't want to wake the sleeping blonde to do so. Emily knew JJ had had a rough night with having to wake up continuously to check on Emily because of her head injury. Truth be told, she would have much rather stayed in bed, curled up with the media liaison, than explain why she wasn't Henry's new Daddy to the curious little boy.

After shutting the door and walking to her living room with Henry in tow, Emily turned on her TV system to play some cartoons. Finding Spongebob Squarepants on, Emily turned to Henry, hoping the boy would forget the question and focus on the TV. Instead, she found two blue eyes gazing at her with a look that clearly showed the little boy expected answers, soon.

Sighing heavily as she sat next to him, Emily reluctantly answered, "No Henry, I'm not your Daddy now. Daddies can only be men. I'm a woman, thus, I can't be your Daddy." Hoping that would be enough of an explanation, Emily wearily turned to see Henry turning over her answer in his mind. She didn't feel comfortable explaining this subject to the little boy because it was something she felt JJ should be doing. But she figured she could at least explain to him that she wasn't his new father.

Slightly confused by this new development, Henry posed another question, "Well, are you going to be another Mommy for me then?"

Emily's breathing ceased for a moment after she heard Henry's question. How many times had she dreamed of that very scenario? But she hadn't expected him to be quiet so inquisitive about this subject, especially at 8:15am. Sensing Henry's impatience with her silence, Emily knew she needed to answer the boy. She decided to go with the truth, "No Champ. I'm not going to be another Mommy either. You only have one Mommy, and she's the best one in the world. I'll always be your Aunt Emmy though," Emily finished as she began to tickle the blonde boy. The attempted distraction succeeded as he began to giggle, squirm and all but forget about what he was asking.

Watching Henry turn back to the TV to watch cartoons, Emily rose from the couch to make her way into the kitchen. She was going to try and scrounge up some food for breakfast, but she hadn't been home in a few weeks for any substantial length of time, so she was out of anything good. And everything else was expired. Silently cursing, Emily realized she would have to go out and grab breakfast for them. She was grateful that her head was no longer pounding with each beat of her heart. Instead, the aching had settled into a constant, but manageable, throb behind her right eye.

Knowing she couldn't leave Henry here alone while JJ still slept, Emily decided to sit with the little boy as he watched cartoons. As Emily sat down on the couch and pulled Henry to sit in her lap with his little head resting under her chin, Emily thought about Henry's question. She had so often lain awake at night to imagine what it would be like to be a family with him and JJ. But to have the small child question it also brought about an unrealistic surge of hope. She wouldn't be any good for the two blondes, so that's why she always had to remain so distant. She was too closed off, too scared of love, to be an adequate addition to their small family. She had to protect them in that aspect.

JJ stood and watched Emily and Henry before she made herself known. She saw the way Emily began nodding off as she tightened her grip around Henry's waist to prevent him from falling. JJ loved to watch as Emily took care of Henry. Not only that, but Henry acted around Emily the same as he did around herself. He didn't even allow his Grandparents to hold him so closely and dote over him so much. JJ had woken up a few minutes ago to find the bed empty and Emily's side cold. She remembered the previous night and the perfection of having Emily safely wrapped up in her arms. And though she was slightly disappointed that Emily had left without saying a word, the moment of sadness was worth it to see the scene in front of her now. Emily had simply left JJ to sleep so that she could, once again, care for Henry so that JJ could get more rest. Even though the brunette was the injured one, she was still trying to take care of JJ.

The blonde sighed in satisfaction as she made her way to the couch. She was going to make Emily apart of her and Henry's family, one way or the other. Last night and this morning were too perfect for JJ to ignore that fact that she and Emily were meant to be together. When she sat next to the two watching TV, JJ made sure to sit closer to Emily than necessary. Waking up alone had caused her to ache for the brunette's touch.

When Henry realized his mother was joining them, he quickly crawled from Emily's lap and wrapped his tiny arms around JJ's neck. Kissing her cheek, Henry said cheerily, "Good morning, Mommy."

Smiling at her son, JJ responded, "Morning Buddy. Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah! Aunt Emmy bought me Twansformer sheets! They sleep way better than wegular sheets," Henry replied enthusiastically as he settled in between JJ and Emily.

"I know. Remember, I tucked you in last night," JJ chuckled softly. She had been shocked to see the sheets that Henry had been begging for, but she hadn't necessarily been surprised. Emily gave the blonde boy everything he ever asked for.

"Oh yeah. I forgot. I'm hungwy Mommy. What's for bweakfast?"

Seeing this as an opportunity to talk with Emily, JJ responded, "I don't know Buddy, but Aunt Emmy and I will go look. How about that?" After receiving a distracted nod from the boy who was already engrossed in the cartoons again, JJ grabbed Emily's hand and led the brunette into the spotless kitchen.

Before JJ could say a word, Emily dropped their hands and spit out, "I don't have anything to fix you guys. Everything is either expired or not appropriate for breakfast. I'm going to go pick something up and bring it back."

Through the whole spill from Emily, JJ noticed the brunette refused to meet her eyes. Normally, JJ would let the avoidance go, but not today. Not after JJ had seen the vulnerable Emily behind her rock solid walls. And when JJ finally caught the brown eyes in a stare, she was startled and hurt to see the walls back in place. Not accepting this, JJ spoke up firmly, "No Emily, don't do this to me. Don't you _dare_ shut me out. Not after yesterday and certainly not after last night."

Swallowing hard in an attempt to keep her emotions from getting the better of her, Emily responded, "Don't you see JJ? I'm doing this for you. I'm just trying to protect you."

Clenching her hands into fists, JJ said, "What is that even supposed to mean?"

Emily saw the ire rising into JJ's blue eyes. She saw the flush of frustration and a hint of anger rise into the normally light pink cheeks. This wasn't going to be a good conversation. Finally, Emily continued, "I'm all wrong for you, JJ. I'll just end up hurting you. You know I'm no good with emotions. You have Henry to think about and I don't want to hurt him either. God, I'd never be able to live with myself if that happened."

JJ wasn't quite sure where this was all coming from. She wasn't even sure that she and Emily were talking about the same thing. Before she could respond, she got her answer as Emily continued, "I don't really know what happened last night. But I don't want to lead you on. I never stay in one place for too long, so I never get involved because it always ends in disaster. I don't know how to love, JJ. But I do know that I care enough about you and Henry to try and protect you both from me."

What happened next was not what Emily was expecting. She was expecting JJ to explode in anger. But instead, she suddenly found herself pinned to the side of the island in the middle of the kitchen. JJ had grabbed her face with both of her hands and for a moment, the two women looked deeply into each other's eyes. Finally JJ closed the distance and crashed her lips with those of the stunned profiler. The blonde closed the gap between their two bodies and easily asserted her dominance. She allowed her hands to fall to the brunette's neck and get lost in the brown locks.

It took Emily a moment to respond. She was too shocked at first with the intensity of the kiss. But after a moment, the years of pent up desire took over and she returned the kiss with fervor. Not one to be dominated, Emily dropped her hands to grip JJ's slim waist. She easily spun the two around until Emily raised JJ up and sat her on the edge of the island. Never breaking the kiss, Emily easily slid in between JJ's legs to close the temporary space between two. Keeping one hand planted firmly on JJ's waist, Emily raised her other hand to gently cup the blonde's face.

After what both women considered too short a time, JJ pulled away. She was aware that Henry was just in the other room and she didn't want him to walk in and see them in such a compromising situation. Resting her forehead gently on Emily's, JJ spoke up in a raspy, desire-laced voice, "Don't give me that bullshit, Emily Prentiss. As much as you try to hide behind your walls and inside your compartments, I still know you. Yesterday and last night only solidified what I already knew. You don't hide within yourself to protect other people. You hide to protect yourself. And everything you just told me is a lie. You do know how to love. You have the capacity to love greater than anyone I've ever met, you're just scared. I understand that. I understand that you've closed yourself off from love because every time you've opened up just a little, you've been crushed. Either by your parents, your friends, your colleges. But I've seen you with Henry, and I know that you wouldn't be so perfect with him if you didn't know how to love."

Pausing to collect her thoughts, JJ saw Emily's eyes were still closed. She leaned forward to place another lingering kiss on the brunette's swollen lips before continuing, "And you're wrong about another thing, too. You're not all wrong for me. You're perfect for me. You're perfect for Henry. We're perfect. I really like you Emily, and I think we can make this work. But you have to trust me. You have to trust me not to hurt you, because I would rather die than break your heart. Please, don't shut me out, Em."

Emily released the breath she had been holding. She took in another shaky one before finally looking into JJ's calm blue eyes. She saw such certainty and truth shining there that she couldn't hold up her façade any longer. She gently nodded her head and accepted everything JJ had told her. She did trust the blonde, but she had to trust herself too. Speaking in a voice shaky with emotion, Emily responded, "I don't really know what to say."

JJ watched Emily's eyes as she saw the compartments come unlocked and the walls tumbling down. She silently asked herself why she hadn't done this sooner. But regardless, she was doing this now and Emily needed her to be strong, "You don't have to say anything. Just think about it and trust me on this. I know that trust is hard for you, but it'll be worth it."

Emily simply nodded her head again, still not knowing what to say. She did know that she and JJ obviously had great chemistry because she was still keyed up from just a few moments ago. Realizing that she was still nestled in between JJ's legs, Emily took a step back and helped JJ hop back onto the floor. With JJ safely on the ground, Emily offered a small smile to assure the blonde that she was going to think things through. "I'll work on that. And I think we need to talk about some things, but first we need to get your son fed. So I'm going to head out and grab something for us all."

JJ quickly grabbed Emily's arm and spun the brunette back to face her before the taller woman could walk away. "I don't think so. You've still got a semi-severe head injury. You can sit right here and watch Henry while I go grab us some food."

Sighing in resignation, Emily handed JJ the keys to her Range Rover and accepted defeat. "Fine, but be careful with my baby," Emily said as she watched JJ head towards the garage in her sweat pants and a Redskin's hoodie. Emily thought to herself how hot JJ looked when she wasn't even trying.

JJ turned to throw a playful smirk over her shoulder as she responded, "Okay, and I'll look out for your car, too." With a final wink, JJ walked out of the house and locked the door behind her.

Emily felt the blush rise to her cheeks as she made her way into the living room to watch cartoons with Henry. She was going to have to think long and hard about where things were headed with JJ. She could get used to the heavy, random make-out sessions and the flirtatious banter. Those things she was good at. It was the emotional part and the love part that had Emily trembling in her boots.

As the brunette sat down and watched cartoons with Henry, she finally allowed her mind to wonder to all the places she had previously forbidden it to go. As she sat lost in her thoughts of JJ, she heard the door handle jiggling in the garage. Thinking JJ had forgotten something, Emily made her way towards the kitchen to open the door. But as she got closer, she realized she never heard the garage door close, meaning JJ forgot to shut it. And knowing that JJ had a key, Emily knew that she wouldn't be trying to jiggle the door handle to try and enter the house.

Emily immediately realized what was happening, she just couldn't believe it was happening in broad daylight. But as she thought of her garage and the fact that her condo was at the end of the street with nothing beside it, she realized it didn't particularly matter if it was day or night because nobody would see anything. Damn her need for privacy. Acting quickly, Emily raced into the living room and turned off the TV and grabbed Henry off the couch. Placing a cautionary hand over the boy's mouth, Emily signified that Henry should stay silent. Seeing the scared look in his eyes, Emily felt a pang of guilt that she wouldn't be able to explain anything to him.

Moving quickly, Emily raced Henry to the coat closet in the foyer and opened the door to place him inside. The brunette hurriedly shoved a few boxes aside and placed the blonde child in the far corner. She whispered to him, "Stay here. DO NOT leave this closet until your mother or I come to get you. Do you understand?" Henry nodded as tears began to silently fall from his redden eyes. Placing the boxes back in front of Henry, Emily heard the garage door being kicked in. It hadn't opened yet, but it was only a matter of time before it relented to the pressure. Closing the door softly, Emily quickly made her way back to her bedroom. She needed to get into her gun safe before the intruder got in.

As the adrenaline pumped through her system, Emily felt her head begin to pound again. The fear wasn't helping either. As she finally made it to her bedroom, she heard the kitchen door give way. Fumbling with the lock on the gun case in her closet, Emily's vision continued to go in and out. She finally managed to unlock the case and reach in only to find the safe empty. She groaned inwardly as she realized that JJ had put their guns somewhere else, she just didn't know where.

That's when she heard the intruder. Only, she heard two distinct voices. She realized with a growing dread that there were at least two men. She might have been able to take out one of them, but two was not looking good, especially with her injury. She thought briefly about hiding as well and hoping they were just here to rob her, but then she thought of Henry terrified in the foyer closet and knew that wasn't an option. So keeping their mumbled voices in range, Emily crept out from her closet to make her way toward the night stand to try and find her gun. She knew there was no way she could make it upstairs to grab her back up gun.

When Emily reached her bedside table, she saw her holstered gun sitting there. Just as she grabbed the gun, she heard the voices approaching her door. Quickly pulling the Glock from its holster and releasing the safety, Emily stood and pointed the gun towards her door. But with her swimming vision and throbbing head, Emily wasn't sure if she was pointing towards the correct door. There seemed to now be two.

Emily watched in horror as a figure came into view. She easily recognized the baseball cap and black hoodie with growing terror. Finally regaining her senses, Emily yelled, "FREEZE!" at the two men now standing in her bedroom doorway. As the man in the baseball hoodie raised his hands in a gesture to indicate he had a weapon, Emily squeezed off three shots from her gun. As she recovered from the minimal recoil of the Glock and the echoing sound of the deafening shots, she realized with dread that she hadn't hit anyone. Feeling a sharp and sudden pain, Emily looked down and saw a tiny dart protruding from her stomach.

As Emily looked up again, she saw the two men approaching her from across the room. Trying to lift her gun, Emily felt her arms become as heavy as lead. She slowly fell to her knees and crumpled to her side. Her swimming vision was now fading around the edges to black as she began to lose sight of everything. Emily vaguely heard the voices above her as they began to lift her from the ground. She heard the distinct accent of the two men and determined they were clearly from Russia. She vaguely understood what they were whispering above her, but Russian had never been her best language. Other than a few words including alive and quickly, Emily didn't understand much else. It didn't help that the larger man, the one she recognized, had now slung her over his broad shoulder and was walking with her towards the kitchen door.

Although Emily was still vaguely aware of everything, she was powerless to stop it. She knew the dart they had shot her with held some form of paralytic. The question was, why where they taking her? And where were they going? Emily's panic doubled as the duo loaded her up into a side-panel black van that had been backed into the garage. As the double doors shut and the two men climbed into the front two seats, Emily began to lose what was left of her consciousness. The last thought she had before she succumbed to the welcoming darkness was that she prayed JJ would be home soon to take care of Henry.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Sooooooooooooo what did you think? Bet you didn't see that coming! What are your predictions? I can't wait to read your reactions!**


	16. Distraught

**A/N: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**

**-IF-**

JJ sang along loudly to the radio as she pulled into Emily's garage. Although she didn't have the most spectacular voice, she couldn't quell the urge to belt out the lyrics to the most recent Katy Perry pop atrocity. She had to admit, the tune was annoyingly catchy. Putting the Range Rover into park and cutting off the engine, JJ reached over and grabbed the IHOP to-go bags from the passenger seat. The smell of bacon, eggs, hash browns, and French toast wafted deliciously around the cabin of the SUV. The blonde woman still had a large grin plastered on her face as she continued to hum tonelessly to the now nonexistent music. To put it lightly, the media liaison was still on Cloud 9 after her encounter with Emily that morning. Her lips were still tingling with the sensation of the brunette's forceful kiss.

JJ felt the blush rise to her cheeks as she hopped from the tall SUV and shut the door easily with her hip. She was giddy with excitement because she couldn't wait to enter the house and greet Emily with a 'Hello' kiss. But when JJ focused on the garage door that led to the kitchen, the smile dropped from her face and her pulse quickened immediately. The kitchen door stood ajar with splintered wood littering the entrance. It was glaringly clear the door had been kicked open forcibly.

After the initial shock wore off a few seconds later, JJ jumped into action. She dropped the bags of food where she stood and silently made her way to crouch beside the open door. The media liaison reached toward her right hip for the gun she kept holstered there. But when her hands were greeted with an empty hip, JJ cursed herself for leaving the gun inside the house. The excitement of the morning's events had caused her to leave the condo without her gun and her badge; something she never allowed to happen on normal occasions.

Quickly, JJ made the decision that she had to enter without her weapon. Her thoughts trained on the wellbeing of her son above all else. So with her pulse pounding loudly in her ear, JJ crept into the kitchen in a low crouch. Since she didn't have a gun on her, she would have to use a silent approach and surprise as her weapons. Wasting no time, JJ visually cleared the living room and kitchen of any occupants. As she entered Emily's bedroom, she swiftly cleared the room, bathroom, and closet.

Rising fully only after she knew the coast was clear, JJ rushed to Emily's bedside and grabbed her Glock from the nightstand. Un-holstering the weapon and raising it to a ready position, JJ took in the state of the room. She looked to her feet and saw Emily's gun resting on the floor next to the foot of the bed. When the blonde looked up again, she registered there were three holes in the wall beside the door. They appeared to be caused by gunshots. After she took in these details, JJ's search for Henry turned frantic.

JJ all but sprinted out into the hall, as silently as she could, and finished clearing the library and staircase before climbing the stairs two at a time. After she hysterically searched the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms, JJ ran downstairs again. The blonde media liaison found herself standing in the foyer of Emily's condo with tears streaming down her face and her heart slamming painfully in her chest. What had happened? Where was her son? Where was Emily?

The blonde woman fell to her knees, and collapsed, her body now supported only by her arms as she leaned forward and allowed the heart wrenching sobs to wrack her body. "HENRY!" JJ called out in a broken voice laced with grieving tears. But just when she let the name rip from her throat, the blonde's head snapped up and focused on the coat closet in front of her. She heard the door creak as it opened slowly. Not having time to get to her feet, JJ raised her gun and focused it on the opening door. Just as she was about to pull the trigger, JJ saw a small head of blonde hair poke around the corner of the door. Sobbing in relief, JJ whispered, "Henry," as she dropped her gun and crawled towards her son. Her heart clinched as she realized her son was okay, but she almost took a shot at him.

When the small boy saw his mother, he pushed the door open the rest of the way and ran into her waiting arms. Tears continued streaming from his reddened eyes as he wrapped his arms tightly around JJ's neck and buried his face into her shoulder. And all Henry could do was sob as he inhaled the comforting scent of his mother's shampoo. The pair stayed there for a few minutes, just taking a comfort in each other's presence.

Finally, JJ pulled back slightly and forced Henry to let go of her neck. To reassure the small boy, she placed her hands on either side of his face and made eye contact with the blue eyes that looked almost identical to her own. Whispering softly, so as not to frighten Henry, JJ asked, "What happened, Henry? I need you to tell me what happened while I was gone."

Henry sniffled softly as his sobs slowly subsided into small hiccups. He knew he needed to be brave right now. After a few moments, Henry responded, "I don't know Mommy. I was watching TV when Aunt Emmy went into the kitchen. Then she wan back into the living woom and gwabbed me and put me in the closet. She told me to not make any noise and to stay weally still and quiet until you or her came and got me." Henry's eyes began to water as he thought back to his time being in the closet. He shivered as he remembered thinking his mother was never going to find him and he was going to be stuck in the closet forever.

JJ's heart broke as she listened to her son recount the events. It sounded like Emily had heard the intruder trying to get in and instead of getting her gun and defending her home, the first thing she had done was make sure Henry was safe. JJ held back a sob threatening to escape. Her son needed her to be in control, not a blubbering mess. Seeing Henry struggling to talk, she knew that he wasn't finished with what he had to say, "Is that all Sweetheart? Do you remember anything else?" she asked as she brushed his tears away with her thumbs.

Henry softly nodded his head as he continued, fighting off his own sobs of distress, "As soon as Aunt Emmy closed the door, I heard a loud cwacking sound, like when that twee fell in our backyard." JJ nodded as she realized that is when the intruder had finally gotten inside. She shivered as she thought about how close the vile creature of a human come to her son. Her blue eyes focused back onto Henry's as the young boy began speaking again, "Then, a little later, I heard Aunt Emmy yell weally loud 'FWEEZE!' Then I heard thwee loud bangs. Then I didn't hear anyfing else until you came and got me." Henry finished as a tiny sob took hold of his body.

JJ took the little boy into her arms and rocked him back and forth for a few moments. Before she could do anything, she heard Henry mumble into her neck, "Mommy. Where is Aunt Emmy?"

JJ closed her eyes as she let the noiseless tears fall down her face. She had been so set on finding Henry and making sure he was okay, that she hadn't given much thought to Emily. The blonde didn't want to frighten the little boy anymore than he already was, so she took a moment to compose herself. She was quite frankly terrified because she had no idea what had happened, where Emily was, or what to do next. At last, with only a slight tremor to her voice, JJ responded, "I don't know Sweetheart. But everything is going to be okay, Buddy. I promise." JJ hated to promise Henry things that she couldn't guarantee. But this was a promise she fully intended on keeping because she needed it to be true just as much as Henry did. So with that promise lingering in the still air and Henry clutching desperately to her neck, JJ rose from her position on the floor and made her way to the garage. She needed to get to her phone to call Hotch. She not only needed the team, but she needed her family.

**-IF-**

Hotch and Morgan stood in Emily Prentiss' kitchen talking quietly as they both stared into the living room. JJ sat on the couch with an exhausted Henry who was sleeping fretfully in her strong arms. Morgan looked towards the master bedroom as Reid disappeared inside to try and find some other clue that everyone had missed. The clue that everyone knew he wasn't going to find.

When Hotch had received the call from a frantic JJ, he hadn't expected to be rushing over to Emily's house, calling in the team, to look for the kidnapped profiler. But here they all were, scouring the house for clues that didn't exist. The team had just come off of a high profile arrest, and now they were missing one of their team members. Before the man could dwell on the nasty turn of events, he heard a throat clear behind him and turned to see Rossi standing there. "I just got off the phone with Garcia. First of all, she's royal pissed that she isn't here for JJ. Secondly, she going through any and all surveillance tapes she can find in this area. Traffic light cams, security cameras from stores or gas stations, anything she can get her hands on. I have to be honest though, I'm not optimistic that she'll find anything."

Hotch nodded as he answered, "Yeah, she most likely won't. Just like we haven't found anything here. The CSU has combed every inch of this condo and not found a thing aside from the shots fired from Emily's gun and the busted door."

Morgan rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around while listening the Hotch and Rossi talk. The outlook was not boding well for Emily. The break in was clearly for the sole purpose of taking the profiler. Nothing was stolen, or even disturbed, from what JJ could tell. According to Henry, who wasn't a very reliable source considering he was four years old, hysterical with fear for Emily, and hiding in a closet during the altercation, the whole thing couldn't have taken more than five or ten minutes.

What didn't make sense to anybody was the ulterior motive for kidnapping Emily. There had been no ransom note left. She was just gone. Morgan, who had tuned Hotch and Rossi out, walked into the living room to sit next to JJ. He saw her vacantly stare into space as she robotically continued to rock Henry's small body back and forth in her arms. Knowing that being here wasn't good for her, the handsome profiler reached out and placed a large, comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder.

Feeling the hand land on her shoulder, JJ flinched involuntarily as was she hurtled back into the present. She had been daydreaming about that morning, before everything had gone horribly wrong. Realizing it was only Morgan trying to reassure her, JJ relaxed into his touch and willed her tears to stay at bay. JJ looked into Morgan's dark brown eyes, and whispered in a broken voice, "We have to find her, Derek."

Sighing heavily, Morgan responded, "I know, JJ. We will do everything we can. You know that. But you and I both know that Henry shouldn't be here. Why don't you take the little tyke home? That way, the two of you can get some rest. We'll call you if anything turns up."

Morgan realized too late that he had said the wrong thing. He watched as the storm began to brew in JJ's now darkening eyes. "If you think I am going to sit on the sidelines _again_, then you are sadly mistaken, Derek Morgan. Not only is a member of my team missing, but she is my best friend. I _will not_ allow you to push me to the outside just because you think I can't handle this."

Trying to back track and save himself, Morgan hurriedly responded, "Whoa JJ. Calm down, tiger. She's my best friend, too. I wasn't trying to push you out, I was just trying to watch out for you and Henry. I thought you might want to get some rest before we get too far into this."

With the storm still raging, JJ was about to lay into Morgan again when Hotch walked over and interjected, "Morgan, JJ. We've done all we can here. We're going to head back to the bullpen to go over what we've got and determine where to start searching. JJ, why don't you…"

Before Hotch could complete his sentence, JJ was rising off the couch and making her way into the kitchen to go out the door. She said over her shoulder as she retreated, "I'm going to take Henry to my parent's house and I'll meet you at the bullpen." Leaving no room for arguments, the media liaison loaded her son into Emily's Ranger Rover and pulled from the driveway. She was going to be in the loop on this case, if only because she had to do everything in her power to bring Emily back to her.

JJ drove in an emotionless daze, and before she realized it, she was pulling into her parent's driveway. After grabbing Henry, she entered the house unannounced. Before her parents could utter a word to her, JJ quickly made her way into the room that had been designated as Henry's. After pulling down the sheets, the blonde mother laid her son down and tightly tucked him in. She lightly ran her hand through his short blonde hair and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. She felt guilty for leaving him here, especially since she knew how distraught he was because of this afternoon. She knew he was going to be hysterical when he finally woke up. But she didn't have a choice. She had to help find Emily. With that thought in mind, JJ rose from the edge of the bed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Making her way into the living room, JJ saw her parents still sitting on the couch. As she met the concerned eyes of her father, JJ couldn't hold herself together any longer. Richard Jareau was off the couch and had his arms around his sobbing daughter the moment he saw the first tear fall down her cheek. It wasn't very often that they saw JJ cry, even when she was a child, but when she did let loose, it wasn't for something trivial. Add that to the way she had determinately entered the house without a warning or a word and laid down a sleeping Henry, the two older adults knew something wasn't right.

For several minutes, Richard stood holding JJ while Lisa ran a comforting hand up and down her daughter's back. Finally, Richard spoke up, "What's wrong JJ? What happened?"

Letting out another devastated sob, JJ responded almost too incoherently for her parents to understand, "She's gone, Daddy."

Richard had a decent idea of who his daughter was talking about, but as he lifted hesitant blue eyes to meet the scared green ones of his wife, he knew he needed to be sure, "Who's gone, Sport?"

JJ didn't respond for several tense moments. Richard and Lisa began to think that she hadn't heard. But just as Richard was about to push again, JJ whimpered, "Emily. She's been kidnapped, Daddy. And I don't know what to do."

Richard watched as his wife closed her eyes in a failed effort to prevent her own tears from falling. Neither had expected to hear this news. And although he wanted to know the details, he could tell from JJ's state, it wasn't the wisest decision to question her further. But knowing that standing around wasn't going to help Emily, Richard pulled JJ reluctantly from his enclosed arms. When he finally had her red-rimmed, blue eyes locked on his, he said, "I'll tell you what you're going to do, Jennifer. You're going to go find her. If I'm right, you're team is either at the scene or already back at your building. That's exactly where you need to be. Don't worry about Henry. You're mother and I will be just fine with him here. Just go, help your team, and keep us updated."

JJ stood up straighter and squared her shoulders and she fisted her hands in determination at her side. Her father was right. Standing around and crying wasn't going to find Emily and bring her back. "You're right Daddy," JJ said as she leaned in for one more comforting hug from her father. Pulling back, JJ went to hug her mother as well. Giving each a kiss on the cheek, JJ turned to walk out of the house. But before she made it, she turned around and addressed the duo. "Look, Henry is extremely distraught about the whole thing. When he wakes up, explain to him that I had to go find Emily. And if he needs to, you can call me and I'll talk to him."

JJ watched as both parents nodded their understanding. Before she turned back around to leave, her mother addressed her, "Sweetheart, just call us if you need us. And please, be careful. I know your job is dangerous, but I don't want you rushing into anything recklessly just because Emily is involved."

The media liaison gave a forced smile as she reassured her parents, quite unsuccessfully, "I'll be fine, Mom. I'll call you with any updates. I love you both." And with that, JJ walked out the front door and back to Emily's Range Rover. As she settled into the driver's seat once again, she closed her blue eyes and inhaled a deep breath through her nose. The interior of the SUV smelled of leather and Emily. With a faint smile touching her saddened features, JJ pulled out of her parent's driveway and headed towards the BAU office building.

**-IF-**

When JJ finally strolled into the BAU bullpen, she noted that everyone was already present and heading into the conference room. Falling in line behind Morgan, JJ was the last to enter the room. She immediately felt all eyes on her as she took the seat at the back of the room, closest to the door. When she made eye contact with Garcia, she could feel her media liaison's mask crumble minutely. The look in the tech's eyes showed what everyone in the room was thinking. They were pitying her. Not only because she had been the one to discover what happened, and not only because her son had been there too, but because everyone seemed to know that the absence of the brunette was going to affect the blonde more than anybody. Keeping eye contact with Garcia, JJ gently shook her head, indicating that she was pleading with the tech to not talk about it right now. She wasn't ready for that yet; she was barely able to compose herself enough to work.

Understanding JJ's need for silence right now, Garcia offered a sympathetic smile and then turned to face the front as Hotch began speaking, "Alright. I know this is going to be difficult. This is one of our own that we're searching for. But I need to know that every single one of you is able to handle this. Emily needs us all to be objective and to be at the top of our game right now. If I feel, at any moment, that you aren't able to perform your duties to the best of your ability, I'll pull you and find someone else on another team to temporarily replace you. Does everyone understand?" Hotch asked as he glanced around the room, into each person's worried eyes. Finally, the last pair of eyes he came to shone a brilliant blue and were rimmed in a dark red. He stared hard into JJ's eyes and accepted that she was ready to work when he received a determined stare back from the blonde.

Deciding that everyone understood his warning, Hotch continued, "Okay, we'll just jump right in then. We don't need JJ to go over anything again. We've already got her statement and we even Henry's. There were no eye witnesses. No neighbors even answered their doors so it's safe to assume that nobody was even home. Morgan, go over the analysis of the scene."

Everyone turned as the profiler rose from his position. Taking a deep breath, Morgan spoke, "Well, there wasn't anything there. No fibers, no footprints, no hair. It _is_ clear that Emily fired her weapon. There were three bullet holes to the left of the door. We know robbery was not the motive. There was nothing stolen and nothing out of place. It is clear that the motive was to take Emily. But what isn't clear, is the reason why. There was no ransom note left. There hasn't been any contact made as of yet for an exchange," Morgan sighed heavily as he braced himself with his hands against the side of the table, "And what I further don't understand is how Emily missed the unsub when she fired. If the intruder came in and was standing in the door, why was Emily so off target? She could easily out shoot any of us on any given day. Hell, she even gives JJ a run for her money," Morgan finished as she fell heavily back into his seat.

Everyone sat silently for a moment taking in what Morgan said. It was disheartening to hear the lack of clues they had to go on. After a few more silent seconds, everyone heard a voice they weren't expecting to hear from this meeting, "She was probably dizzy. She had that bad head injury and she wasn't steady on her feet all night. Even this morning, she was still a little shaky," JJ finished. Though her voice remained strong and sure, everyone could hear it lacked the usual cadence and intonation. All they got now was a monotonous statement, which scared them more than if she hadn't said anything at all.

While everyone was still recovering from the shock of JJ's statement, Reid added, "That would certainly explain her apparent lack of aim. Couple her head injury in with the adrenaline that was most likely coursing through her tired system and she would have been seeing double, if not triple."

Rossi decided to steer this conversation, at least for the moment, away from Emily's last few moments inside the condo. He looked to Garcia and asked, "I understand were going to go through surveillance tapes of surrounding businesses. Have you found anything yet?"

Looking once more at JJ helplessly, Garcia stood to connect her laptop to the projector. "I haven't found much of anything, just a lot of speculation. Emily lives in a very ritzy part of DC. Almost her entire street is composed of condos. The only business on her street is a coffee shop a few doors down. But I know they don't have any video surveillance because I called and all but demanded it. The only things I have to go on right now are the traffic cameras, and those are only activated in her area if someone runs a red light.

"But I expanded the area by a mile in every direction. I narrowed my search to within an hour of when JJ said she left to go get breakfast. The only suspicious activity I got was coming from the south. It's a black van that ran a red light in the historic district. Now that, in and of itself, isn't suspicious. But I ran the tags, just to try and find some lead, and it came back that the tags are stolen off of a Honda Civic in Baltimore. Why would a big, creepy black van be riding around DC with stolen plates?" Garcia finished as she sat back down. She had the picture up on the screen of the front of the van with the tags in clear view. "That's all I could find sir."

Hotch nodded as he continued to look up at the screen. Everyone seemed to be glaring at the picture, wondering if this was the van that had taken Emily away. Finally, Morgan spoke up, "Hey, Baby Girl, can you zoom in on the driver's face?"

Garcia glanced over and wondered why she hadn't thought of that. Without responding, she quickly set to work as she brought the driver's face closer in a zoom. But the image that materialized was one of pixels so distorted that it was impossible to tell the image was a face. Grunting in frustration, Garcia said, "The image quality on these cameras is awful. Give me a little while and I'll get back to you; hopefully with the face of this bastard." And with that, Garcia swept out of the room. But before she left, she placed a comforting hand on JJ's shoulder.

Hearing her stomach growl, JJ realized she hadn't eaten anything all day. Looking down at her watch, she saw that it was already five o'clock in the evening. Emily had been missing since nearly eight o'clock that morning. The brunette woman, who had just been kissing JJ at seven-thirty, had now been missing for over nine hours. Where had the day gone? Every hour Emily was gone tore away at JJ's resolve. She wanted to stay strong, but JJ knew the statistics of these kinds of cases. She stared at the facts everyday of her life. Cases of kidnapping that didn't involve a ransom note and a crime scene that held no clues usually ended in a body being found dead. That is, if a body was ever found at all.

Not able to stand being in the room any longer, JJ abruptly rose from her seat and turned to leave. She needed to eat and she needed to get some coffee. She wasn't going to do Emily any good if she fainted. So JJ made her way to the break room to scrounge up some food that always seem to be present. As JJ stood, eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich and waiting for her coffee to finish brewing, she heard the elevator doors open. Not having the energy at the moment to venture out and confront a stranger, JJ simply stood and continued to stare at the coffee pot.

But her solitude was short lived as she heard the voice of a woman she prayed she never had to see in the bullpen again. "Aaron Hotchner! I demand to speak with you this instance!" JJ emerged from her spot in the break room to see none other than Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss standing in the middle of the bullpen looking every bit the regal, noble woman she was.

The woman, in her designer skirt suite and designer heels, looked furious as she watched Hotch descend the stairs to meet her. JJ noticed, at that moment, Emily was the spitting image of her mother. The Ambassador was clearly enraged at something, and JJ recognized that is the same look of cold fury that Emily got when she was in her overprotective mode.

When Hotch finally reached the woman, he attempted to extend his hand in greeting, only to be ignored by the Ambassador. As the two stared each other down, Hotch finally spoke up, "Ambassador Prentiss, may I ask why you are here?"

JJ saw as the Ambassador clenched her jaw in a way so similar to Emily that it made the blonde grab onto the edge of the desk next to her. It didn't help matters that the desk she was standing beside happened to be Emily's. After a silent moment with the Ambassador trying to control her rage, the woman finally spoke in a voice soft with a silent threat, "What I want to know is why I was not alerted to the fact that my daughter has been kidnapped."

Realizing the nature of the Ambassador's visit and the potential for a serious scolding from this altercation, Hotch swallowed hesitantly as he questioned, without actually responding, "How did you find out?"

JJ, seeing Hotch struggling under Elizabeth's raptor gaze, decided to step in and try to diffuse the situation, "I was going to call you Ambassador. But we've been busy following leads and trying to find Emily that I haven't had time to step away. I'm sorry."

As soon as JJ spoke, Elizabeth spun to face the shorter blonde woman. The sight that met JJ took her breath away. JJ was looking into Emily's eyes. JJ could see that the Ambassador had been crying, the red in her eyes and the glistening eyelashes gave it away. But JJ was focused more on the walls and barriers that she saw in the woman's dark brown eyes. Although Emily's were a lighter brown, JJ could easily see the resemblance between mother and daughter. Emily had most certainly learned her compartmentalizing from her mother.

The Ambassador took a threatening step towards JJ, who was still leaning heavily against Emily's desk. When she was fully facing the media liaison, she said, "You didn't have time to step away? This is my daughter! I want to know why I wasn't informed immediately!" Elizabeth all but screamed as she took another strong step towards JJ.

Hotch, knowing how fragile JJ was at the moment, knew she didn't need the Ambassador's wrath raining down on her also. Stepping back in between the two women, Hotch demanded control of the situation with his next statement, "I'll ask again Ambassador Prentiss. How did you find out?"

Knowing that she had been running on pure rage, Elizabeth Prentiss felt herself deflate the moment she allowed herself to actually look at the broken woman in front of her. JJ was hurting just as much, if not more, than she was. Finally, she turned her attention back Aaron Hotchner and answered, "I received this about an hour ago. I watched it and then drove straight over," she said as she pulled a DVD from her purse.

Hotch grabbed the DVD and looked at it stunned for a moment. If this is what he thought it was, then it was also the first real clue they were getting in finding Emily. But needing to be sure, Hotch looked up and asked, "What is this?"

Elizabeth shook her head slightly at the thought of having to explain what she had seen on the disc. Right now, she wasn't the powerful Ambassador; right now she was a broken mother. "I suggest you and your team watch it Agent Hotchner. Then I demand to know what the hell you are doing to find my daughter. I _will not_ be brushed aside."

Hotch met the eyes of the Ambassador for a moment before racing up the stairs and into the conference room. Directing Morgan to call Garcia, Hotch inserted the tape and waited for the team to reassemble. Everyone tried to act as though they hadn't heard the entire conversation that had transpired in the middle of the bullpen.

When Garcia walked into the room, she sat beside JJ who had occupied the same seat she had been in earlier. Knowing what was most likely going to be on the tape, Garcia grabbed the blonde woman's hand and held it tightly in between her own. She knew that what was on this tape, if it had shaken the Ambassador up enough to be screaming to the point Garcia could hear her in the computer lab, would most likely crush JJ. But she also knew that the media liaison would not allow anyone to prevent her from watching it. So instead, Garcia held her breath as she watch Hotch push play and the screen jumped to life.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Thanks for being such AMAZING reviewers! Leave another with your predictions (I love those), or even suggestions. I always try to put in everyone's suggestion. I want you all to enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it!**


	17. Ransom

**A/N: Thank you all for the AMAZING reviews! Sorry I had to give such a cliffy, but it was totally worth it for this chapter. It set it up perfectly! So anyway, sorry it took so long! This was a lot harder to write than I thought it would be. But enjoy! And I hope to have another up ASAP! Like within the next week : )**

**-IF-**

Emily was confused. Her mind was groggy for reasons she couldn't remember, and her head was pounding with each beat of her heart. When she tried to open her eyes, in addition to the fuzzy images, her vision swam uncontrollably causing her to keep them shut. She groaned as she felt her neck begin to throb and her shoulders began to ache. But when she tried to move her arms to rub her neck, she felt her wrists restrained behind her. Upon closer inspection, Emily felt her ankles tied as well. Sneaking her eyes open one more time, she registered she was sitting in a chair in the middle of a dimly lit barren room. Not being able to stand the nausea brought on by the quick glance, Emily shut her eyes again. She couldn't remember how she'd gotten here, who had brought her, where she was, or how long she had been sitting here. Judging from the pain in her neck and shoulders, she had to have been slouched in the chair for quite some time.

As the profiler sat in the chair, she searched through her muddled mind to try and remember what had happened. The last thing she could recall was waiting for JJ to return to her condo with food. Emily smiled briefly as she remembered the heated kiss the two shared in the kitchen before the blonde left. The kiss had been everything, and more, that she had every dreamed. With that pleasant memory replaying in her head and the tingle still on her lips, Emily's head fell forward once more as she succumbed to the welcoming darkness.

**-IF-**

Emily heard shuffling noises as she surfaced from her unconsciousness. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she heard the muffled voices whispering just out of hearing distance. Not wanting to alert her captors that she was awake, Emily remained motionless. Sitting there thinking and concentrating, the brunette realized that her memory was clearer than before. As she thought about her predicament, she recalled the intruders, now unsubs, breaking into her house. She remembered hiding Henry in the coat closet before finding her gun and firing at the two men in her house. She also remembered, with dread building, how she had missed her mark and in turn been struck with a paralytic of some sort that also caused her to lose consciousness. After remembering all the details, Emily realized that whatever she was injected with had most likely caused the nausea and the lack of memory earlier.

Before Emily could think about her dilemma any longer, she heard heavy footfalls coming toward her. Remaining motionless, Emily listened as the two addressed each other. When she heard the rough, guttural sounds of Russian being exchanged between the two men, the profiler felt her heart beat pick up. She fought to regulate her breathing as remembered that the larger of the two men was also the suspicious man who had been lurking around the press conferences. She suddenly realized that this was not a simple case of kidnapping. This was a planned assault that the two men were expecting certain results from. She just had to figure out what those results were.

Too busy processing her thoughts to pay attention, Emily wasn't able to decipher any of the Russian being exchanged a few feet in front of her. Understanding that she could think things through later, Emily finally tuned in and began to listen and translate their words. She realized too late that she had clued in to the last bit of the conversation because all she heard was a hurried, "Hurry, wake her up. We need to get this done."

Still not wanting to let the men know she was awake, Emily stayed still as she heard one set of footsteps retreating and another set clomping to her side. Not ten seconds after the pair parted, Emily gasped in pained shock as she sat bolt upright in the chair. The man, now retreating to stand with his partner, carried a blue bucket with him. Emily sat, trying to catch her breath, after the shock of freezing cold water being thrown on her. She could feel her hair dripping and the water making its wait down her face, into her shirt, and settling in her pants.

With her eyes still wide and her mouth working to take a deep breath, Emily could see straight for the first time in hours. Though she was now shivering violently, Emily was appreciative of at least that much. She winced as she felt her skin begin to rub raw against the shackles holding her to the chair on her wrists and ankles. Finally taking in her surroundings for the first times with a coherent mind, Emily saw she was indeed in a barren room in what looked like a basement. There were wooden stairs leading upwards to her right. But other than that, there was nothing but a cement floor, cinder block walls, and her solitary chair.

As Emily looked in front of her, she finally saw the two men who had taken her. They were standing behind a video camera with the red record light already lit up. At that moment, Emily knew that nothing from here on in was going to be simple. Whatever the motives of these two men, she knew nothing good ever came from a video camera and a hostage sitting in front.

Trying not to focus on the camera, Emily instead turned her eyes to the men behind it. She immediately recognized the man from the press conferences, even without his hat and hoodie. But when she turned her eyes to the second unsub, she felt her heart drop into her stomach. Knowing these two men were Russian, she finally put two and two together. She recalled now where exactly she recognized the man in the hat and hoodie from when he was standing next to his shorter, meeker counterpart. These men were a part of the Russian Mob in Baltimore that she and the team had investigated at the urging of her mother. Egor, the larger man, and Dmitri were the right and left hand men to the mob boss, Arseny Lysowsky.

Emily snapped out of her daze when she saw Egor advancing towards her. But before he reached her, he turned around and faced the camera. He them beaconed Dmitri to join him as well. When the two men stood in front of her, Emily strained to hear what they were saying. But because Russian was never her strongest language, and Egor was talking rapidly with his back towards her, Emily didn't hear anything other than the rumbling of his voice. But still, she strained to listen.

Emily hadn't realized in her attempt to hear Egor speaking her head had fallen forward again until she felt it being jerk back by her hair. She let out a shocked gasp as she realized Dmitri had a handful of her hair and was looking down at her with contempt in his gaze. He lifted a sheet of paper towards her in an obvious desire for her to take it. When she grabbed the paper after realizing he had released her left hand only, she heard him give a stern command in Russian when he let go of her hair, "Read."

The profiler glanced down at the scrawled letters on the piece of notebook paper in her hand. She knew she couldn't read what was on the page. So with a final glance to her left and right to see that the two men had flanked her and were staring straight at the camera now with black ski masks covering their faces, Emily made a snap decision. She knew the two men spoke English, even if it was broken at best. They had obviously written this note for her to read. But she also knew that they most likely didn't speak Portuguese. So instead of reading off the paper, Emily made eye contact with the camera and pleaded rapidly, "Mãe, encontrar Henry e JJ. Eles estavam em minha casa. Por favor, diga a eles que eu estou bem e eu os amo muito e…"

Before Emily could finish though, she felt a pain explode down the left side of her face. The pain rivaled and easily surpassed the throbbing pulse of her previous injury on the right side. Emily's head snapped backward, hitting the back of the chair with a loud _'pop'_ causing her teeth to slam together. As she slowly and agonizingly brought her head forward again, the brunette saw Egor standing over her with his hand poised, ready to administer another bone-jarring punch. Not giving her time to say anything, Egor instructed in Russian, "One more word other than what is written on that paper, and you'll be getting a lot worse than that."

Emily only nodded in understanding as she brought the paper up to her face. Blinking quickly to get rid of the blood seeping into her eye from where her previous gash had opened up, Emily swallowed in apprehension and read, "Mother, at midnight tonight, you will receive a phone call. Have five million dollars ready, in cash. You will be given instructions on what to do from there. If you do not cooperate, I will die. Do not involve my team from the FBI. Do not involve the police. They will know and they will kill me." Emily gulped as she looked at the last line of the note. She didn't want to go any further because she knew the last line is the part that would tip her mother over the edge. She knew the last line is what would clue her mother in to who had kidnapped her. While that may be a good thing, she also didn't want the Ambassador to charge into Baltimore and stir things up when she needed to lie low and let the BAU do their jobs.

Hoping the men didn't realize that she hadn't said the last line, Emily let her hand with the note fall to her lap. But before she could even blink an eye, she was hunched over, gasping for air. Egor stood in front of her, looking down at her heaving form, and growled in Russian, "Finish the note." Taking a moment to collect herself and get the wind back into her lungs after Egor punched her in the abdomen, Emily struggled to sit back up. She saw the paper had fallen to the ground during her ordeal, but she didn't need it anymore. She knew the line by heart. But before she could find her voice, she was receiving another strike to her abdomen. She heard Egor bark out the order, "Now! Finish it now!"

So sitting up as straight as she could, Emily opened her mouth to speak. The voice that came out, scratchy and strained, was obviously pained. But the brunette profiler sat up straight, stared straight ahead to the camera, and said in Russian, "Возмездие за грех зависит от того, какие сделки вы делаете с дьяволом." When she finished the line, she looked up to see Dmitri retreating behind the camera and Egor standing by her side. With an apprehensive glance toward the camera, Emily prayed that the ransom video was done and the men would leave her alone to suffer her pain in solitude.

Not wanting to appear weak to the two men, Emily stared straight into Egor's cold grey eyes and said in his native Russian, "You'll never get away this." She watched as Egor smirked with a cocky grin and leaned closer to her face. Emily withdrew from the nearness as far as her chair allowed her to. But the large man grew ever closer with each moment until he was right in Emily's race. For a moment, the two stared each other down, neither willing to give ground first. Finally, Egor raised his callused hand and went to brush a wet tendril of brunette hair behind Emily's ear.

Before the Russian man completed his task, Emily quickly spit into his eyes in a show of defiance. Egor, stunned by the sudden disregard for respect he felt the woman should show him, quickly pulled back and wiped the spit from his eyes. Chuckling to himself evilly, Egor glanced down into Emily's brown eyes once more. Pausing for a moment to let the captured woman think there would be no retaliation, Egor stared back into Emily's eyes. After a moment, he whispered, "Cука" before pulling his meaty fist back and landing a devastating blow to the same place he had hit her earlier.

Emily knew her act of defiance would most likely reap a painful penalty. That thought was only reinforced as she heard Egor call her a "bitch" in Russian. And as she struggled to stay conscious after the second strike to her face, she wished she hadn't acted out of spite and complete disregard to any consequences. But as Egor delivered another solid punch, Emily gratefully fell into the blackness she had become so fond.

**-IF-**

The silence in the conference room lay thickly over all the occupants. Every person still had their eyes trained to the projection screen, not quiet believing what they had seen. Since most of the video had been in another language, no one understood what had been said. But they all understood the violence and the severity of the situation. No one could move as they stared at the place they had last seen the larger of the two Russian men delivering a third punch to Emily's bloodied face before the screen when blank.

With everyone still staring forward, JJ squeezed Garcia's hand in a death grip. The media liaison, though she tried with every ounce of strength she had left, could not hold back the silent tears running down her face. She had witnessed the moment Emily's nose started bleeding, the moment her eyes rolled back in her head when unconsciousness took her, and the moment her lip split open. She shivered in uncontrollable rage as she thought about how she had just been kissing those lips this morning. She had just been running her fingers through the brunette hair that was now wet with freezing water and dripping blood.

Not being able to sit idle anymore, JJ spoke up, "What did she say?"

Everyone was stunned to hear that JJ was the first to speak. But as the Ambassador looked over, no one else said a word. Elizabeth Prentiss, though clearly distraught after watching the DVD again, responded with a clipped, "Excuse me?"

"What did she say?" JJ repeated when she met the Ambassador's dark brown eyes. "Before she was…" JJ had to pause as she struggled through the next words, "before she was punched. What did she say in Portuguese? I recognize the language from when she speaks in to Henry. And I heard her say Henry and my names. So what did she say?"

Elizabeth licked her dry lips as she closed her eyes against the emotional pain coursing through her right then. Years of political practice allowed her to gather her wits and respond with all emotion void from her voice, "She instructed for me to find you and Henry. She said you two were at her house," the Ambassador finished as she straightened her shoulders to face Hotch. Sitting around wasn't helping Emily, and she planned on telling the man that.

But prior to her uttering a word, she heard JJ said sternly, "What else did she say? I know that wasn't it."

Clenching her jaw and turning to look into JJ's ice blue eyes, Elizabeth was ready to give her a piece of her mind. But when she saw the way JJ was gripping Garcia's hand desperately and the devastation shining behind the poorly constructed walls in her blue eyes, she knew she couldn't keep the rest of Emily's plea from the blonde. So with in a voice almost too soft for anyone to hear, Elizabeth said, "She wished for me to tell you that she is fine and that she loves you and Henry." Elizabeth finished as she shared a similar look of fear and pain with JJ. Swiftly breaking eye contact, the mother turned toward Hotch and continued, "But as you can see Agent Hotchner, my daughter is clearly not fine. I need to know what you are going to do to find her."

Hotch rose from his seat and faced the Ambassador. He was still reeling from what he had just seen, so being forced to deal with the formidable politician was not something he looked forward to doing. He cleared his throat before he began, "First, apart from the area that Emily read off the ransom note in English, we'll need to translate the entire interaction. Next, we need to set up a protection detail for you Ambassador. These men clearly knew who Emily was, therefore they will most likely be following you. Which leads me to believe you were probably followed here," Hotch finished in concern. The video had been clear for the Ambassador to not involve any authorities.

Not allowing Hotch to continue, Elizabeth cut in, "I assure you, Agent Hotchner, that I was not followed here. I had my protection detail ride out of the compound at my house in two SUVs. I was in one while the other was a decoy. I left ten minutes after the first, and then we did multiple circles and took various routes to get here to ensure we were not followed."

Rossi was the one to speak this time, "That's excellent, Ambassador. As far as the phone call is concerned, we'll have Garcia hook up your phone lines to be routed here for when you get the phone call. Just in case we can't locate and get to Emily before midnight." Rossi finished weakly. He hadn't meant to sound so pessimistic about not finding Emily before midnight and had quickly tried to alter statement at the last moment, unsuccessfully.

Clearing his throat again, for no other reason than to clear the awkward silence, Hotch began issuing orders, "Let's get to work. Garcia, go ensure that all of the Ambassador phone lines are routed here to a recordable, traceable phone. Reid and Morgan, I want the two of you to go over the video again. Look for anything that can give us any idea where Emily is or who took her. JJ, take Ambassador Prentiss to your office and have her translate the video as quickly as possible. Rossi and I will call around and see if there have been any Russian Mob movements around DC lately. Questions?" Hearing no response and seeing the still stunned faces staring back at him Hotch continued, "Okay then, everyone get to work. Let's get this done as quickly as possible."

The team quickly dispersed to complete their designated tasks. And JJ was no different. She rapidly made her way to the Ambassador where she instructed, "Follow me, please," before leading the woman from the conference room on the short walk to her office. As JJ sat behind her desk, eyes still red, she motioned for Elizabeth to take a seat in front. When the older woman was settled, JJ reached over and handed her a legal pad and a ballpoint pen, "Ambassador, if you could please write down, in English, everything that was said in the video. If you need to, we can go sit in with Morgan and Reid should you find it difficult to recall anything."

"That will not be necessary," Elizabeth said as she leaned forward to write out the translation, word for word. She would never forget the images and the words found on that video for as long as she lived.

JJ sat and watched as Elizabeth wrote in an elegant, fluid script across the page. The handwriting, so much unlike Emily's choppy, block writing, spoke of the woman's attention to detail and her need to always appear in the best light possible. Completely lost in watching the rhythmic flow of the Ambassador's pen, the media liaison was startled to hear the older woman speaking, "She talks about you frequently. You and your son."

Blinking her eyes rapidly to try and ward off the tears, JJ responded, "I was unaware."

"Actually, the two of you are generally all she _will_ talk about," advised the woman as she sat up and pushed the legal pad back toward JJ, indicating she was finished with the translation.

JJ gathered the pad and pen and began typing the lines up so she could make clean copies for everyone. There may be clues in the conversations so JJ wanted to be sure it was clearly documented. Looking up, she saw the Ambassador was looking at her with an unreadable expression on her face. Seeing that the woman was waiting for a response, JJ asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

At the question, Elizabeth rose from her chair, planted her two hands on the desk in front of her, and leaned towards JJ, towering over her in the process. She was doing this to evoke intimidation in the blonde woman before her, and she was satisfied when she saw JJ swallow in fear. After a brief moment, the Ambassador said, "Because my daughter is in love with you Agent Jareau. And I do not intend on sitting back and allowing Emily's heart to get broken."

Though she was intimidated by the woman towering over her, JJ's heart fluttered in her chest. "_Emily is in love with me?"_ she thought excitedly to herself. Not wanting to assume anything, JJ ventured, "How do you know she is in love with me?"

"Because I have neither met a single one of Emily's girlfriends, nor have I ever heard her speak of one. But you are the topic of every conversation she and I have. Now, you might not harbor the same feelings towards Emily as she does for you, but it would be wise of you to stop leading her on. She has somehow gotten it into her head that even though you have a son, you are not straight."

Realizing immediately that this was the mother talking to her and not the Ambassador, JJ steeled herself. She had never had 'the talk' with a parent of a girlfriend before. Especially with a parent of someone she wasn't officially dating yet. But knowing she needed to defend herself and set the record straight, JJ rose from her seat as well and addressed Elizabeth, "I care a great deal for your daughter as well, Ambassador."

"Yes, but caring for someone and loving someone are two different things entirely."

"While that is true, I can rest assure you that I am not leading your daughter on. Henry, my son, adores her. He considers Emily to be his second mother. I could not imagine a life without Emily in it. And when we find her, you can guarantee that I will be telling her all of this," JJ finished. She wanted to say more, but now was not the time. Now was not the time to explain that she was gay and that she was indeed in love with Emily as well. This conversation from Elizabeth was most likely the direct result of her fear for Emily's safety, and so to throw in the emotions that love usually provoked would not be wise.

Nodding her head and accepting, for the moment, that JJ's intentions were true, Elizabeth sat back down and said, effectively changing the subject, "I would like a copy of those translations as well. Something that was said is familiar. I just need to look at it a bit more and think about it."

Seeing that Elizabeth had efficiently changed the topic, JJ sat down as well and began printing copies of the translation. Just as she handed the first copy to the Ambassador, her desk phone rang. "Jareau," she answered as she leaned toward her printer to retrieve the next copy.

"JJ, you've got to get down here," Garcia whispered frantically into the phone before hanging up.

The media liaison grabbed all the copies once they finished printing off and turned to the Ambassador to address her. "Ambassador, I've got to go pass these around. If you could just wait here, I'll return momentarily." Seeing the woman nod her head absent-mindedly, JJ rushed out of her office and headed straight to Garcia's lab. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she reached the door. The urgency in Garcia's voice had not been lost on the blonde and thus it had made her own fear double.

When JJ burst through the door, she was shocked to see the rest of the team already there. She had thought Garcia was just calling her. But to see everyone crowded into Garcia's small lab made JJ's breath hitch in her throat. Whatever the tech guru had found couldn't be good.

Hearing her door open and close, Garcia glanced up and saw JJ, flush faced and all, standing at the back of the room. Seeing that everyone was present, Garcia turned to her screen and began speaking, "Okay guys. While I was setting up the Ambassador's phone lines to be routed to the phones here, I checked the software to see if the pixilated picture from the traffic camera had cleared up any. This is what I got," Garcia said as she pulled up a now clear picture of the front of the black van. She zoomed in again on the driver's face and brought it into focus. As the face cleared, the image that came up was of a man wearing a baseball cap and a hooded sweatshirt driving the van.

Garcia heard JJ gasp from behind her and turned to see the entire team staring in shock at the screen. Before she gave them anytime to speak, she brought up the surveillance of the press conferences that Emily had done earlier in the week. As she brought up the desired time frame, she continued with her explanation, "This is footage from the press conferences that Emily hosted. I left the program running with the search parameters to find a male in a baseball cap and hoodie like you asked, Hotch. This is what pulled up." Next to the picture of the driver of the van, Garcia zoomed in on the man from the press releases. She brought the two faces side by side and allowed the occupants of the room to come to the same conclusions.

She heard Morgan clear his throat before he said, "It's the same guy. Damnit! Emily said she had seen him at the last one, but none of us believed her. Maybe if we had listened to her, she wouldn't be gone right now!" Morgan finished as he turned and roughly kicked at the chair sitting next to him.

"Derek, calm down. None of us thought about it. Hell, Emily didn't even really think twice about it. We can't focus on what we should have done. Instead we need to focus on what we need to do to find her and bring her back to us. Which brings me to this," Garcia said as she swiftly turned back toward her computer. She typed a few things on a different monitor and brought up a mug shot of the man from the photos. "I ran the pictures through a face-matching data base and I came up with this. It is only an 89% match considering both pictures we have lack quality. But once you hear about him, I think you'll agree that this is our guy; or at least one of them. This is Egor Petrov. He is a Russian Immigrant living in Baltimore. He is a part of the Russian mob there. He has numerous crimes listed against him, almost none of which he has been convicted of," Garcia finished as she brought the mug shot up again and turned to face the group.

She took in all the faces before her and saw the recognition dawning in their eyes. She didn't know this man from John Doe on the street, but everyone else in the room seemed to be familiar with him. When Garcia finally turned to look at JJ who had made her way towards the front, she saw the blonde was sitting in the chair Morgan had just kicked. Her head was being held up by her hands, her elbows braced on her knees. The sobs that were wracking her body were silent, but physical. She understood that Emily was in severe trouble if the Russian Mob did indeed have her held captive.

Just as Garcia was about to comfort JJ, the door to her lab opened again and Ambassador Prentiss entered. Without giving anyone a chance to speak, she stated, "I know who has Emily. I don't know how I missed it earlier. It's in the translations. The last line of the ransom note, the one Emily spoke in Russian, is a common Russian phrase. Roughly translated it says, 'The wages of sin depend on what kind of deal you make with the devil.' The men who have Emily are the same men who we investigated in Baltimore a few years ago. I know because Arseny Lysowsky, the mob boss, said the same thing to me as we were leaving. I didn't pay it much mind then, but I'm sure it's the same group. They have my daughter," Elizabeth finished as she stared into each team member's eyes. She knew she was rambling and silently cursed herself for appearing even slightly unprofessional, but the only thing on her mind was finding Emily as quickly as possible. As the woman looked around at the occupants of the room and saw the lack of shock, she made a sudden connection, "You already knew that didn't you?"

No one said as word as they all turned to stare at the screen still holding the mug shot of Egor Petrov. Nodding her head in acceptance, the Ambassador spoke up, addressing Hotch, "Okay, so what do we do now?"

Just as Hotch was about to answer with their next course of action, the phone in the Ambassador's coat pocket began to ring. All eyes turn to the clock above Garcia's door to see it read only 8:07pm. It was still four hours early for the ransom call from the unsubs. But as Elizabeth pulled the phone from her pocket and saw a number she did not recognize from an area code in Baltimore, her heart gave a jump in her chest and her hands began to noticeably shake.

When Elizabeth finally brings the phone to her ear to answer it, she utters an unsteady, "Hello?" into the receiver.

The voice that responds, with a heavy Russian accent, whispers, "Hello Ambassador."

**-IF-**

**A/N: So? Thoughts? I would love to read what you feelings on this are. And anyone have any requests? Let me know! **


	18. Change of Plans

** A/N: ENJOY!**

**-IF-**

Groaning as the pounding in her head intensified with every second she stayed awake, Emily attempted to open her eyes. She could taste the blood in her mouth and feel the dried blood crack on her face as she attempted to move. Raising her hanging head from her chest to rest against the back of the chair, the profiler saw that the room was completely black. The hanging light bulb above her head was off. Shutting her eyes, Emily prayed for unconsciousness to take her again. But with the ability to see stolen from her for the moment, she heard the reason why she had woken up to begin with.

The wooden stairs in the corner were creaking from the weight of a person clamoring down. When Emily heard the person reach the bottom, she then heard him shuffle along the basement floor until she cringed from the sudden bright light above her head flickering on. Squeezing her eyes shut, Emily tried to raise her left hand to shield her face from the sudden onset of the yellow glare, only to find that it had been strapped back to the chair.

After a few silent seconds, the profiler recognized Egor's voice coming from her right. Only having heard one set of footsteps descend the stairs, Emily forced her eyes open to see who the Russian was talking to. Realizing with a growing dread that the man was on a disposable cell phone, she immediately thought it was midnight. "_Have I really been unconscious that long?"_ she thought as she shut her eyes again to listen to the conversation.

"Hello Ambassador," Emily heard Egor grumble out in his heavily accented English. Though she couldn't hear what her mother said, she knew she longed to hear the older woman's voice. Just the thought of it was soothing and calming her frazzled nerves. Emily knew she needed to keep a level head during this ordeal, but that was growing increasingly harder the longer it lasted. She was hungry, in pain, freezing cold, and most likely on the border of going into shock. So while the thought of talking to her mother soothed her somewhat, it also made her yearn for it. Her mother's voice was simply a few feet away. The desire to talk to her mom was almost painful in its forcefulness.

Without realizing it, Emily let out a small whimper of need and pain. There was so much she wanted to tell her mother, starting with "I love you." As simple a phrase it was between a mother and daughter, it was one the pair had neglected to share with each other for years. Not knowing how the situation was going to pan out or if she was even going to survive, Emily only desired to convey at least that much to her mother.

Egor, talking on the phone with the Ambassador, looked down when he heard the whimper come from Emily's mouth. Assuming the woman was still unconscious and simply in pain, he left her alone and continued talking on the phone with the woman's mother. He didn't particularly want to make this phone call. He hadn't wanted to kidnap the FBI Agent either. But no one questioned Arseny Lysowsky if that person valued his life. So when the boss had called and told him to move the time up and to increase the amount of money they were demanding, Egor had no choice but to follow orders.

Still looking at the bruised and bloodied features of the brunette, Egor said into the phone, "There's been a change of plans, Ambassador."

**-IF-**

Elizabeth swallowed hard as she looked to Hotch for instructions. In theory, she knew what she needed to do, but in reality, she was a mother just longing to save her daughter.

Seeing the lost look in the Ambassador's brown eyes, Hotch stepped forward and whispered, "Put it on speaker."

Lowering the phone and pushing the speaker button, Elizabeth finally addressed the caller in a voice much steadier than she felt and said, "And what changes would those be?"

JJ felt her heart pick up speed. Changes to hostage negations were never a good sign. But she didn't get a chance to think much of it as she heard the caller speak in a think Russian accent. She was at least grateful he hadn't reverted to Russian and she could understand him. "We're going to meet at midnight now. And the price has gone up to eight million dollars."

Elizabeth quickly responded, "Let me talk to Emily. Let me talk to my daughter to make sure she is still alive. Then I'll do anything you ask of me."

Morgan pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He knew on a professional level that it was never okay to bargain with hostage takers in situations like this. But at the same time, he also needed to hear Emily's voice to ensure that she was indeed okay.

The entire BAU team waited with bated breath to hear their missing team member's voice. But what they heard first was almost not worth the result. They knew the Russian man pull the phone away from his face because they heard him distantly call to Emily, "Hey, Cука, wake up." They heard as Emily groaned in opposition and they heard a resounding slap echoing through the phone. Every one heard as Emily let out a pained gasp and a whimper before they heard the Russian man distantly talking again. "You're mother wants to make sure I haven't killed you yet. Speak."

Elizabeth waited for a moment as she gripped the phone tightly in her already white-knuckled grip. Looking around, she saw similar looks of both fear and anticipation etched into everyone's faces. As she took in JJ's tear-stained face, she also saw pain evident in the puffy eyes of the media liaison. The pain the blonde was feeling came directly from the sounds of pain being inflicted on Emily. Finally, after what felt like ages, Elizabeth heard the scratchy voice of her daughter float through the phone. "Mãe?"

Noticing that her daughter was reverting to her native tongue, Elizabeth responded in Portuguese as well, "Sim, estou aqui minha filha."

Elizabeth heard as Emily released an emotional sob. She listened as Emily quickly spewed out, "Eu te amo muito Mãe. Muito"

All too quickly, Elizabeth heard the rough voice of the Russian man on the phone again, "Meet tonight, at midnight with the eight million dollars in cash. Meet in Gwynns Falls Park in Baltimore. No authorities. If you neglect to follow any directions, your daughter will die."

Before Elizabeth could argue that she wouldn't have time to get the money and be in Baltimore before midnight, the Russian man had hung up the phone. Looking at the cell phone in her hand now issuing a dial tone, the Ambassador quickly brought the device to her side and spun to face Garcia. She wanted nothing more than to collapse and cry, but she needed to stay strong for Emily. Never mind the fact that she just heard her daughter tell her she loved her for the first time in years. That alone caused a coldness to seep through her body. Emily had to have little hope of surviving to break down like that. So taking a step toward the blonde tech, Elizabeth said, "Please tell me you got something from that phone call."

Understanding that now was the time to work and not discuss what had just happened, Garcia swiftly turned to her computer and began typing commands into the system. "Give me just one minute to pull everything up and I'll let you know. Although your phones have been routed to the phone in the conference room, the system is still activated if you answer your personal phone instead of the phone set up in the room. Hopefully he stayed on the line long enough for us to have run a trace on his location."

Watching as Garcia typed away on her screen, JJ turned to face the Ambassador. She hesitated before asking the question she knew was on everyone's minds. It was extremely personal, but at the same time quite imperative to the case. Gaining the confidence after gathering her wits and stopping herself from crying, JJ asked, "Ambassador Prentiss, do you even have eight million dollars to give to these people, assuming it comes down to that?"

The Ambassador diverted her gaze from the computer monitors to the cool blue eyes of the blonde woman sitting next to Garcia. She addressed the room while looking at the woman when she asked, "Emily really didn't tell you all a lot about herself did she?" Receiving a shake of the head from everyone, Elizabeth scoffed and continued, "She always was one for mystery and secrets. Of course I have the eight million to give to them. Emily alone is worth ten million, and that's just her trust fund. That doesn't include her own investments and savings. Emily herself, all together, is worth around fifteen million. Then add in my net worth and my family's net worth and her inheritance she'll gain when everyone dies, and you're looking at around fifty to seventy five million dollars. That's a ballpark figure depending on how quickly her father is burning through his family's money."

JJ knew Emily had money. She knew Emily had a lot of money. But she didn't know that Emily was a millionaire. So JJ was left speechless until Garcia began talking again. "Okay, the number Mr. Creepy Russian Man called on was from a disposable phone, so that is of no use to use. He didn't stay on the line long enough for us to get the exact location, but we got the general area and he is in Southwest Baltimore," Garcia finished as she spun in her chair and faced the group again.

Hotch looked to Reid and said, "Okay, Reid, stay here with Garcia and work on a map for me. I know you generally like to have three to five points, but right now you'll have to work with the two we have. Find Gwynns Falls park and determine if it is in Southwest Baltimore. Everyone else, I want you to go back to what you were doing beforehand."

And so the team did just that. They all dispersed to continue their hunt for Emily. JJ slipped from the lab with the Ambassador trailing behind. As they neared her office, JJ heard voices coming from behind the door. Out of instinct, the blonde agent reached for the hand gun holstered at her side and placed a cautionary hand to prevent Elizabeth from walking any further. When she listened closely to the voices coming from the slightly ajar door, JJ relaxed and pushed the door open further to stroll into her office. Before she was noticed by anybody, JJ announced her presence by asking, "What are you doing here?"

Spinning around quickly in his grandmother's arms, Henry jumped from the loose grip and ran to his mother. He immediately wrapped his tiny arms around her thighs and began sobbing into her legs. JJ looked down sadly at her son before glancing up and searching pleadingly for answers from her parents currently sitting in front of her desk. Seeing the unasked question in her blue eyes, Richard spoke up first, "I'm sorry Jenny. We tried to stay at home, but Henry was not having any of it. We tried to call you several times to get you to talk to him and calm him down, but you never picked up. He's been crying like this for hours and we didn't know what to do anymore."

Nodding her head in understanding, JJ felt her belt and realized she had left her phone in the Range Rover in her haste to get into the office. Glancing down again and sinking to her knees in front of her son, JJ forced his blue eyes to come into contact with her own. When she established that emotional connection, she finally began to speak, "Hey Buddy. It's okay. Why are you crying?"

Henry sniffled as he held eye contact with his mother. Other than Emily, she was the only person who could calm him down with a simple look or a small touch of comfort. After his sobs had subsided, Henry responded in a tear-laden voice, "I miss Aunt Emmy."

Smiling gently to try and convey confidence that she herself didn't actually feel, JJ said, "I miss her too Buddy. But we're going to find her. You know that's what Mommy, and everyone she works with, does. You know that," JJ assured as she wiped the tears still sliding down her son's face.

"I know, Mommy. I'm just scared. And then you left me wif Gwandma and Gwandpa and didn't tell me. I want to help find Aunt Emmy. I'm weal good at hide-and-seek," Henry mumbled as he looked desperately into his mother's eyes.

Biting her lip for a second to hold in her emotions, JJ felt tears building in her eyes. She grabbed the small boy and pulled him close to her chest as she rose from the floor to hold him in her arms. Feeling his tiny arms wrap around her neck, JJ placed a soft hand on the back of his head before saying, "I know you are Buddy. But this is a different hide-and-seek. It's not like the one you and Aunt Emmy play. But you know what you can do to help out?"

The small boy pulled back and looked up excitedly before asking in a hurried, "What? I'll do anything, Mommy."

JJ felt herself smile, despite the fact she was willingly lying to her son. She knew more than likely everything wasn't going to be okay. But she needed her son to have hope and faith. Finally she said, "You need to be a big boy and take care of Grandma and Grandpa. They're very upset about Emily being missing, so you need to help them out. Okay?"

Henry nodded his head eagerly at his newly appointed task. If it was going to somehow help find his Aunt Emmy, then he was going to do it to the best of his ability. Now that he was somewhat content, Henry allowed his eyes to wonder from his mother's face. When he spotted the person standing behind JJ, he struggled to fully face her. When JJ realized what Henry was trying to do, she turned to the side and let Henry address the Ambassador standing behind her. "Hey, you look like my Aunt Emmy," she heard Henry say confidently.

JJ was slightly apprehensive as she saw the Ambassador step fully through the doorway. But when she got a look at the woman's face, she saw glistening tears reflecting in the brown eyes that were so much like her daughter's. Before JJ could explain the resemblance to Henry, Elizabeth responded, "Well, that's because Emily is my daughter. I'm your Aunt Emmy's mother. And you must be the Henry I've heard so much about."

Looking at the Ambassador intently for a few moments, Henry finally followed up with, "If you're my Aunt Emmy's Mommy, then what does that mean you and me are?"

Pausing at the unexpected question, Elizabeth was momentarily at a loss for words. She could see how Emily was so enamored by the small boy. He was fearless and intelligent beyond his years. Gathering her thoughts, the older woman finally responded, "It makes me someone who cares for you very much." She was amazed at how easily those words now flowed from her mouth. It had been years since she had uttered any caring words to another soul, but now it was all she could think about. She was ashamed that it took this tragedy to make her realize that.

Henry gave a big smile at that and buried his face in his mother's neck again. When she felt the conversation was over, JJ addressed the small boy in her arms, "Alright Buddy, you and Grandma and Grandpa need to go back home. Mommy's got work to do."

Hearing that his mother was sending him home, Henry immediately began crying and saying, "No Mommy! Pwease don't send me home. I can take care of Gwandma and Gwandpa from here. I pwomise to be quiet and good. So do they. I want to be here to help find Aunt Emmy!"

JJ's heart broke even more when she heard the desperate pleas coming from her son and she felt the way he was clinging to her as though she were going to drop him. Sighing heavily and swallowing the lump developing in her throat, JJ said, "Henry, Buddy, you've got to calm down. I promise everything is going to be okay, but you've got to listen to me." Pulling Henry away from her and setting him back on the ground, JJ sank to her knees again to talk with him, "Your Aunt Emmy needs both of us to be strong. She wouldn't want to know that you were crying and not listening to me, would she?" Watching as Henry shook his head, JJ felt guilty for using her son's obsession with Emily to her advantage. But she wouldn't be able to concentrate on finding the brunette if she was constantly worrying about Henry. "Okay, then you need to go home like I asked you to do. I'll call you and tell you everything that is going on. Deal?"

"Deal," Henry mumbled dejectedly. He was only agreeing because he thought it was what Aunt Emmy would want him to do. She was always telling him that he needed to listen and obey his mother.

"Come on, I'll walk you guys out," JJ said as she rose from her position on the floor and held her hand out for Henry to take. "Ambassador, if you just want to take a seat, I'll be right back."

So JJ walked out of the door with Henry in tow and Richard following close behind. Lisa Jareau paused for a moment and placed a comforting hand on Elizabeth's forearm and said, "These guys are the best at what they do. If anyone was going to find Emily, it'd be them. She'll be fine."

Elizabeth, needing both the contact and the hope that Lisa provided, nodded her head gently as she fought to keep her ever present tears at bay. She watched as the blonde woman who looked so much like JJ followed her family out of the office door.

Taking a seat and waiting for a few minutes, Elizabeth took advantage of the free time and was lost in thought when she suddenly heard JJ enter the office again. Lifting her eyes to look at the media liaison, the older woman said, "You're son is beautiful, Agent Jareau. And quite intelligent, too. I can see why Emily loves him so much."

Shocked to hear the words of praise leave the Ambassador's mouth, JJ took a moment to respond. Finally she said, "Thank you, Ambassador. As you can see, the love my son has for Emily is genuine and it runs deep. His feelings reflect my own."

The older woman sank into her chair as she said, "I can see that now. And please, call me Elizabeth. I feel like we're family as it is."

Despite the circumstances and the current situation, JJ's heart fluttered at the words that just left Elizabeth's mouth. Being a family was certainly something she would be working toward with Emily once they found her. Just as she was about to respond, her desk phone rang and she immediately picked up, "Jareau."

Rossi said, "JJ, bring the Ambassador to the conference room. We need to go over the next steps. She needs to go withdraw that money, just in case."

"Okay, we're on our way," JJ responded as she rose from her chair. Facing the older, fatigued woman, JJ advised, "They want to see us in the conference room. It's time to start thinking about the trade coming up. We'll probably need to leave soon to make it to Baltimore in time."

Elizabeth nodded her head as she rose slowly from the seat. Falling in line behind JJ, she followed until they were in the room with every other member of the team.

Seeing that JJ and the Ambassador had finally entered, Rossi began, "Okay, Ambassador. We want to brief you on everything we know before we decide on a course of action." Seeing the Ambassador nod, he continued, "Reid found that the park you have been instructed to deliver the money to is actually less than a mile from the Little Kiev. If you'll recall, that is the same restaurant of the Russian Mobster Arseny Lysowsky on the case you worked with us. Now Hotch and I did some calling around. Apparently they are hurting for money. Now, it's pretty common knowledge for anyone who really wants to know that you and your family have money. What we're assuming is that they found out about you and Emily from that case. Someone recognized your names and did some research. So that's when they decide to do a ransom video, knowing you'll turn over loads of cash to get your only daughter back."

Nodding her head, Elizabeth indicated that she was following along and agreeing with everything thus far. She never regretted her decision to solicit Emily's team for that case until this moment. Rossi continued after a moment of hesitation, "At this point, we don't have much to go on. Morgan wasn't able to find anything from the video that would help us. You said the package was hand delivered. Garcia was only able to get us the information to confirm this is the Russian Mob. You, yourself was only able to discern that it was the Russian mob from one line in the wordage of the video. Our best option right now is to set up a sting operation during the exchange."

That's when Elizabeth sat up a bit straighter and listened a bit more intently. She wasn't sure how these things usually worked, but if these men could kidnap a federal agent and not leave a single clue, she was sure they would be able to tell if there were other federal agents around during the trade of the money for Emily. Deciding to voice her concerns, Elizabeth said, "They were very specific about no authorities. They even said not to bring in her team. You don't think we should heed their warning?"

Hotch was the one to answer the Ambassador, "With all due respect Ambassador, but this is what we do. Trust me when I say we will not do anything to jeopardize Emily's safety."

Resigning to the fact that she was outside her element, Elizabeth simply nodded her head and said, "Well, I've already got the money. I withdrew ten million just to be on the safe side. I think we should head out so you all can get set up and I can be there waiting before they get to the park."

"I agree," Hotch said as he rose from his chair. "Everyone, I want you in full gear. Meet in the bullpen in fifteen."

All the agents went their way to suit up and get ready. They had to get their heads in gear and prepare for the worst and best outcomes possible.

As JJ entered her office, she finally allowed the tears she had been holding in since Henry was there to fall. She walked to the bookshelf behind her desk and lifted a picture from the shelf. It was a candid shot of Emily and Henry that she had taken a few months back. The two were both asleep in the photo. Emily was lying down on her back on her couch with Henry lying face down on top of her. The boy's little blonde head was tucked neatly under the brunette's chin while the older woman's hands where securely locked on Henry's back. The light from the large window's in Emily's living room cast a soft glow on the pair. JJ had walked in ready to pick Henry up from spending the weekend with Emily. The moment had been so peaceful and serene that JJ couldn't walk away without a picture memory. And now, as she stood in her office, JJ struggled to keep it together.

Running her thumb along Emily's smooth face exuding serenity, JJ furiously wiped at the tears in her eyes. Finally gaining control of her emotions again, JJ grabbed her vest and other gear for the sting and walked out of her office. When she reached the threshold, she threw a last sad look at the picture before shutting the door.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Well? Thoughts? I promise, not much further…**


	19. Lights Flashing, Sirens Blaring

**A/N: SO SORRY! With the Holiday and family being in town for nearly 2 weeks, it's been crazy. I hope this chapter is worth it. I put A LOT of work into it. **

**A/N: Thanks to my Beta Melissa! Without her, this probably wouldn't have been finished even this quickly. I really tortured her with this chapter because I changed the ending so many times. So THANKS!**

**-IF-**

For the second time, Emily was startled awake by a splash of cold water cascading over her already frigid body. The profiler, with teeth clattering together, felt her raw wrists begin to chafe even more as her body fought to stay warm by shivering. But unlike before, Emily had no problem remembering where she was or what was happening. The pulsating throbs of pain radiating from her temple, cheek, and jaw quickly brought back the memories of the brutal beating she had endured earlier at the hands of Egor. As she finally focused her vision to the men standing in front of her, she was quite surprised to find that neither of her eyes had swollen shut. Apparently Egor had stayed away from her eyes when he was beating her. But the same could not be said for her cheek bone, which she was sure was broken, or her sore jaw. When she went to lick her lips, the chapped skin cracked under the movement and reopened the busted lip she had received earlier.

With the taste of her own blood still metallicay in her mouth, Emily stared straight ahead at the two men before her. She refused to show the amount of pain she was actually in knowing it would prove as a weakness. With men like these, weakness meant death. Wincing slightly as she unconsciously clenched her jaw, the battered woman sat up a little straighter, despite the trouble it caused her physically. Just now realizing the pain in her chest and abdomen, Emily concluded that after she had passed out, Egor had moved his pounding fists lower on her body. Trying to ignore the pain that was only being intensified by her uncontrollable trembling, Emily held her head high and waited for whatever was going to happen next.

After a few tense minutes of Egor and Dmitri whispering in angered voices, Egor finally stepped forward and knelt in front of the drenched woman. After looking into her pain-glazed brown eyes for a few moments, he finally spoke up in his heavy Russian accent, "It's a shame, really, that we did not have more time." As the large man finished the first sentence, he ran his calloused hand up Emily's leg until it stopped, resting on her upper thigh. "I would have very much enjoyed teaching you to respect a man," he finished with a devilish grin spreading across his face and an evil glint shining in his eye.

Knowing from earlier that disrespecting this man was tantamount to wishing for a beating, Emily simply clenched her jaw tighter, despite the pain it caused. But when the rough hand began to make its way further up her thigh, Emily couldn't control herself anymore as she jerked forward in her restraints. The action, sending throbs of pain down her shoulders and to her wrists as well as into her torso, effectively halted Egor in his actions as he stood up and gazed down at Emily. Chuckling loudly, Egor turned to the man behind him and said, "I'm going to miss her feistiness. Won't you, Dmitri?"

Nodding his head, Dmitri finally spoke up in English slightly less tainted with a Russian accent, "Yes. But stop playing around Egor. We need to leave."

"Very well. But you take all the fun out of things Dmitri. It would not have hurt to take her for a ride, if you know what I mean," Egor said he turned back to meet Emily's glaring eyes to give her a playful wink.

Cringing as she realized exactly what the Russian was talking about, Emily was suddenly grateful, in a twisted way, for Dmitri. "You know there were very strict orders against that from The Boss," Dmitri stated as he continued to hang behind the taller man.

"Yes, but he never would have known."

"Regardless, orders and orders. You've already broken them by beating her as much as you did. Just untie the сука and let us leave." With that, the short man turned and walked up the wooden stairs, creaking as he went.

With Dmitri gone, Egor continued to gaze down at Emily before he stepped behind her. Emily grew nervous not being able to see the man behind her, but the worry disappeared when she felt her wrists being freed from their ties. Slowly bringing her hands in front of her, the brunette immediately began to rub the raw skin to ease the burn. She was still shaking uncontrollably from the water that had been dumped on her, and her wrists had taken most of the trauma. As she looked down, she was surprised to see blood on her hands. The chafing to her wrists was more extensive than she had originally thought.

But before she could inspect the damage done to her body any further, Emily's vision was suddenly thrown into complete blackness. Struggling against the black, cloth hood thrown over her head, the profiler's limbs flailed around. She reached up to pull at the bag, but was quickly reminded that she was not in control. Egor grabbed Emily's wrists in one hand and brought them down in front of her. The woman let out a wail of pain as the man landed a heavy punch to her right side. "Listen сука, do not move. You are weak. You cannot fight against me. If you try to, I will beat you more. Do you understand?"

When she finally calmed enough to listen, Emily quickly nodded her head that she understood. Only after responding in Russian with a "да" to say she understood did Emily feel the painful pressure applied to her wrists release.

"Stand up." Instantly following the order, Emily rose from her seat. After not having the use of her legs for hours on end, and with no water or food to give her energy, Emily almost fell back into the chair. But a strong arm wrapped around her waist and rested uncomfortably close to the front of her pants. Shivering, this time not from the cold but from disgust, Emily swallowed her pride and made no move stop Egor. She needed him to hold her upright.

But the Russian man didn't attempt to try anything vulgar. Instead, Emily felt the coarse rope being tied to her wrists again as Egor brought her arms behind her back. As she felt the rope cut into her already broken skin, Emily winced as the man tied the knot too tight. After the rope was pulled taunt and the knot tied, Egor stepped back and pushed Emily to walk. But when the brunette stumbled in her weakness and fell to the ground, she heard the man grumble before he bent down and lifted the thin profiler onto his broad shoulder with ease.

Emily felt the blood rush to her throbbing head she dangled behind Egor, with her legs to his front. Hanging over his shoulder, Emily heard him say, "Time to go meet Mommy," before her pulsating head was too much for her to stand. Within seconds, the profiler had succumbed gratefully, once more, to the blackness she had become so acquainted with.

**-IF-**

The ride to Baltimore was made in relative silence. Garcia had stayed behind at the bull pen, as was usual. The group was split between two SUVs as they flew down the interstate with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Morgan was driving the second SUV with Rossi and Reid riding with him while Hotch drove the first SUV with JJ and Ambassador Prentiss. Opting to allow the Ambassador to have the front seat, JJ sat quietly in the back and look intently out the window.

For a while, JJ just thought about the recent developments between her and Emily. Just last week she had been yearning silently for the brunette profiler. And just this morning, the two had been kissing passionately in the brunette's kitchen. Throughout the past few hours, JJ hadn't allowed herself to think about anything other than finding Emily. But now, in the oppressive silence of the SUV, her mind wondered carelessly to that special place.

JJ startled from her day dreaming when she heard the shrill ringing of Hotch's phone. She listened intently as the man quickly answered and hung up the phone. Looking to the clock, JJ saw it read 10:30. They had an hour and a half before the trade was to take place. As she glanced back towards her boss's face, she heard him begin, "We're meeting Agent Kramer in Baltimore. He already has a team in position, which is good considering they know the area much better than we do. We'll be placed according to where they need us. Final directions will be given there," Hotch finished as he continued driving. They were only ten minutes away from their destination now and he was eager to get there and set up well before the scheduled meeting time.

JJ replied with a simple, "Yes sir," before gazing out of her window once more. Agent Kramer had been the man who helped the team with the initial investigation in Baltimore against the Russian mob. JJ wasn't sure when Hotch had placed the call to the FBI office there, but she was grateful it had been done. They needed people familiar with the area. She and the team were coming into this blind, so the help was going to be beneficial.

As JJ took notice of her surroundings, she saw that Hotch had slowed down considerably and had shut off the lights. Looking behind her, she saw that Morgan had done the same. They must be close. Sure enough, not two minutes later, Hotch placed the SUV in park and jumped out of the vehicle. The rest of the team, including Ambassador Prentiss, followed suit and walked with Hotch toward a man they all recognized as Agent Kramer.

Hotch was the first to speak as he held out a hand in a greeting and said, "Good evening, Agent Kramer. We appreciate you helping us out. Seeing as to how we're in your domain, you tell us where to go. We're not familiar with this park."

Agent Kramer nodded as he said, "I'm sorry we have to meet again under these conditions. But I've got my best agents out here. The park is a favorable location for the unsubs. That's probably why they chose it. It's wooded and dark and has minimal lighting. I've already placed my agents in some locations, but we've got a few places we'll need you guys to cover. Who has the best shot on your team?"

Hotch replied immediately when he answered, "That would be Agent Jareau."

Agent Kramer shifted his gaze behind Hotch to see the small media liaison meeting his startled stare with a confident gaze of her own. "Isn't she your media liaison?"

Feeling defensive of her skills and also wanting the opportunity to be as close to helping save Emily as she could be, JJ spoke up before Hotch could answer, "Yes. But I also have one of the best shots in the Bureau. I can guarantee I could outshoot any of your agents."

Holding his hands up in defense, Kramer lowered his head in submission. Clearly this woman was not one to mess with. "I apologize for questioning your abilities. It's just that we normally don't run across media liaisons who can handle a weapon very well. I meant no offense." After seeing JJ nod her head in acceptance of his apology Kramer continued to address her, "Agent Jareau, you'll be the closest to the action. I'm putting you right behind where we're going to position the Ambassador. It's in the area of the park that has the most light, both natural and artificial. Lucky for us, it's a full moon." Kramer turned on his heel as he headed toward the black, unmarked Lexus ahead of them.

The group followed quickly on his heels as they neared the car. Turning to address the group once more, Kramer looked toward the Ambassador and spoke, "This car is almost an exact replica of what you drive. Its close enough that the unsub won't be able to tell a difference in the dark. I'm sure Agent Hotchner briefed you on the way things are to be handled?" Kramer asked. He watched as the Ambassador nodded her head before continuing, "Good. We don't have too much time. The Russians like to be the first on the scene for anything, so they'll be showing up before midnight. I want to have you and the team in place well before that. Before we go, you need to be fitted with a Kevlar vest."

Kramer gestured for a woman around JJ's age to come forward. After a few tries, they found a fit for the Ambassador. While Elizabeth was helped by the young agent in putting on the vest, she noticed the rest of the team had pulled to the side to receive their placements from Agent Kramer. Elizabeth watched as the entire team, minus JJ, dispersed toward different areas of the park, quickly disappearing into the surrounding night.

When JJ finally made her way back to Elizabeth, the Ambassador had just finished putting on the vest and was now standing anxiously beside the Lexus sedan. She wanted nothing more than to get this exchange over with. When JJ reached her, she gazed into the blonde woman's determined blue eyes and asked, "Why didn't you go with them?"

JJ, in her FBI Agent mode, responded curtly, "My position is to tail you discreetly into the park. There is an area of dense shrubbery right behind where you'll park the car that I'll take cover in. I'll have a clear view of you and the Russians." "_And Emily_," JJ thought silently to herself. Although she wanted to get Emily back, she was also dreading the state of the brunette's physical health. She knew that simply seeing the beaten woman was going to make her want to shoot the two Russian men. But she understood that unless they made an overt threat to harm either Emily or the Ambassador, there was nothing she could do. They wanted to apprehend the unsubs, not murder them. By killing them, she would be no better than the two men.

Elizabeth watched as emotions danced across JJ's clear blue eyes. She knew that her life, as well as her daughter's life, was resting in this tiny woman's hands. With that realization, Elizabeth reached out and grabbed JJ's forearm. Once she had the woman's attention, she said, "If anything does not going according to plan, which I have a feeling it might not, I want you to do everything in your power to save my daughter. I've lived my life, I've made my mistakes, I've had my glory. Emily is my world, and I want to know that you'll do whatever it takes to save her."

JJ searched deep insides the Ambassador's dark brown eyes. But who she saw wasn't the Ambassador. She saw a terrified mother, begging her to save her daughter. With Hotch's words echoing in her head to cover the Ambassador no matter what, JJ pushed those orders aside as she finally nodded her head in agreement with Elizabeth, "I will do everything I can to save Emily."

Satisfied that Emily was going to be safe in the hands of JJ, Elizabeth turned back to the Lexus and climbed in the driver's door to wait for her signal to go. She only had to wait a few moments because just as she shut the door, Agent Kramer came into view, giving her the sign to pull into the park.

The time had been set. The money was in the trunk. The teams were in place. Now it was just a waiting game.

JJ looked to her watch and read 11:15. In forty-five minutes, she would have Emily back. With that thought pushing her weary body forward, JJ slipped into the shadows to trail behind the slow moving Lexus.

**-IF-**

Dmitri put the van in park as he stared out of the windshield. Glancing down at his clock, he saw it read 11:37. The bitch was early. She wasn't supposed to be early. How was he supposed to do a perimeter check of the area in order to ensure she didn't call the police? Turning to glance in the back, he saw that Egor had already removed the black sack and the coarse ropes from the woman's body. So with Egor sitting in the back with the semi-conscious hostage, Dmitri decided it was best to just get the exchange over with. The Ambassador was a smart woman. She wouldn't have involved the police.

**-IF-**

JJ watched in silence from her spot hidden in the shrubs. Her breaths, now shallow puffs of cold winter air, one right after the other, grew deeper as she struggled to control her heart rate. She hadn't been given a sniper because she was in such close range that it would have been cumbersome to carry and unnecessary to have. So she held her Glock pointed in front of her as she lay on her stomach against the frozen ground. She had to control her breathing if she had any chance of making a clear shot. So within a few seconds of the van's arrival, JJ was in her zone. She watched intently as the driver's door opened and the man behind the wheel stepped out.

JJ saw the shorter man from the video make his way to the nose of the van. From her viewpoint, she also saw as the Ambassador step from her car and retrieve the case of money from the trunk. JJ was relived they had convinced the Ambassador to wear a small ear piece that transmitted an audio feed to every agent at the scene. The woman had been hesitant at first, but JJ had persuaded her by saying the ear piece would allow them all to hear if things started to go south and they needed to act.

JJ winced slightly as the ear piece buzzed to life in her ear. After the deafening silence, JJ was startled by the loud noise. Keeping her eyes and aim trained on the shorter man, the blonde listened as he spoke for the first time, "Do you have the money?"

Though Elizabeth was nervous and anxious, she made sure that it didn't come through in her presence. Tonight she would have to utilize every political act she had ever learned just to convince the two men that all was going smoothly. She couldn't let them see she was terrified for the safety of her only daughter. So with a confidence she wasn't truly feeling, Elizabeth responded, "Yes. Let me see my daughter," she demanded before she made any move to hand over the loaded briefcase.

Dmitri didn't say a word as he circled to the back doors. JJ couldn't hear anything because the action was too far away for the microphone to pick up on any noise. But her vision was perfectly clear. Though she had just entered her zone and had just been in charge of her emotions, JJ quickly lost all control as she watched the tall, muscular Russian man emerge from the back of the van with the smaller man following behind. Filled with rage that the man, Egor, was the same one who had beat Emily in the video, JJ had to stop herself from shooting him on the spot. After a steadying breath, JJ's eyes fell on the body that the larger man had tossed over his shoulder.

JJ let out a silent sob of emotion as she watched Emily's limp body thrown to the ground. The blonde agent held her breath as she waited for the brunette to show any sign of life. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, JJ felt a tear slide down her face in relief as she watched Emily struggle to move from her side to her back.

At the movement from the brunette profiler, Elizabeth forgot everything Hotch told her about remaining in control of the situation and not making rash decisions. In that moment, she was nothing more than a mother desperately wanting to hold her injured daughter. So without a moment's hesitation, she surged forward toward Emily. With an emotional sob of her own ripping up her throat, the Ambassador tossed the briefcase at the feet of the two men as she knelt down to the cold ground beside her daughter. Finally finding her voice, Elizabeth salvaged what little control she had as she whispered, "Take your fucking money and leave."

What happened next was a blur. JJ watched in horror as Egor pulled a gun from his waistband to take aim at the Ambassador's head. Without waiting a moment, the media liaison fired from her spot on the ground and quickly rose to squeeze off two more rounds into the man. Without waiting for backup, JJ sprinted from her hiding spot to advance on the scene. With her gun held in front of her, she screamed, "FREEZE!" to the remaining Russian. "ON THE GROUND! HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!"

By the time JJ reached the group, she averted her eyes from the two women huddled together on the ground, knowing that one look at Emily would cause her to lose all concentration. Instead, the blonde made her way over to the remaining unsub and roughly secured his hands behind his back with her metal handcuffs. Constricting the links tighter than necessary, JJ read the Russian man his rights before finally taking a peak out of her peripheral to glance at Elizabeth and Emily. JJ grew worried when she saw the Ambassador slouched over on top of Emily at an awkward angle.

Raising her head to look around her, JJ finally spotted Morgan sprinting from his position and rapidly approaching from her right. Knowing the strong profiler would be there to assist her within moments, JJ scrambled from the back of the Russian and crawled over to the two women. Looking to the right, she saw Egor. His eyes, dull with lifelessness, remained open. She shivered as she saw she had placed two bullets between his eyes and one to his chest. Knowing that she had just killed this man had no affect on JJ though. Her mind was focused solely on reaching Emily and Elizabeth.

At last reaching the two women, JJ placed a firm hand on the Ambassador's shoulder. The blonde breathed a sigh of relief when the Ambassador jumped at the touch and moved to shield more of Emily's body with her own. Realizing that Elizabeth didn't know who was touching her shoulder, JJ quickly said, "Elizabeth! It's JJ! It's okay now. Everything is perfectly safe."

Hearing the soft voice of the media liaison in her ear, Elizabeth finally pulled her body off of Emily's limp form. Looking down at her daughter, her heart broke at the sight before her.

When Elizabeth moved from on top of Emily and allowed JJ to finally see the profiler, her breathe caught in her throat as her hand flew up to cover her mouth. Immediately tears welled up in her blue eyes and she fought the urge to collapse against Emily and sob. The brunette profiler had cuts and bruises marring her lightly tanned skin. Although her eyes weren't swollen shut, they were surrounded by skin that was cut and bleeding. Emily's bottom lip was swollen and oozing a thin line of dark red blood. There was a cut on her cheek that looked painful and her previous head injury had reopened and was still gushing blood.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, JJ knew that the head was very vascular and had thousands upon thousands of veins running just under the skin. She knew, that because of those blood vessels just below the surface, the face and head tended to bleed more profusely than other parts of the body. But that fact did nothing to assuage her pain from seeing the blood covering almost every inch of space on the profiler's face.

Before the Ambassador had a chance to do anything but stare in stunned silence at her unconscious daughter, Hotch came over and grabbed her arms and began pulling her to stand up, "Come on Ambassador Prentiss, we've got to let the Paramedics reach Emily." Hotch grew worried as he easily guided the Ambassador away from her daughter. He was expecting a bit more of a fight from the older woman. But as he steered her toward the waiting SUV, he saw the distant and glazed look in her dark brown eyes. She was in shock. Knowing that the Ambassador was going to need medical attention, but having more pressing matters to attend to, Hotch passed the woman off to Reid and said, "Get her to Maryland General Hospital. It's the closest to the park. It's also the one they will be taking Emily to." Seeing Reid nod in understanding, Hotch turned to confront Emily's unconscious form and JJ's unstable emotions.

After a few moments of shocked silence after Hotch walked away with Elizabeth, JJ finally regained her senses as she reached forward and placed her hands softly on either side of Emily's face. And even with the chaos going on all around her, JJ was able to block out the noise and focus solely on Emily. Leaning forward, JJ placed a gentle, lingering kiss on Emily's forehead and then moved her mouth to Emily's ear before whispering, "Come on, Em. Open those gorgeous brown eyes of yours. Let me see that you're okay." Placing another kiss to the shell of the brunette's ear, JJ pulled away.

Not really expecting anything to happen after her request, JJ was surprised to see two light brown orbs focused clearly on her blue eyes. The blonde could see the pain clouding the brown eyes, but she could also tell that Emily was mostly coherent and alert. JJ smiled widely, despite everything that had happened in the last day, and bent down to place a soft, ghost of a kiss, on Emily's bleeding lips.

Pulling back, JJ once again locked eyes with the profiler. With her hand still on either side of Emily's face, JJ watched as the brunette brought her bloodied hands up to wrap tightly around the blonde's wrists. After a few moments of staring into each other's eyes, Emily reached one hand up, cupped JJ's frigid cheek, and whispered in a voice almost too soft and hoarse to hear, "Meu amor."

JJ felt her face stretch further as another smile over took her features. But before she could respond in kind, she was ripped away from Emily's body by Morgan. Struggling to get back to Emily's side, JJ kicked and flailed until Morgan had her arms pinned to her sides. Finally honing in on what the man was saying, JJ heard him yell, "Relax JJ! You've got to let the Paramedics do their job." Finally looking around, JJ noticed the ambulance parked beside the Lexus and the Paramedics rushing toward Emily. Focusing on the battered face of the profiler, JJ watched in horror as the brown eyes that had just been gazing softly into her own now rolled back into the brunette's head.

So JJ watched on helplessly as the men attached Emily to numerous machines, quickly loaded the brunette onto a stretcher and wheeled her away. Before Morgan was able to strengthen his hold on the blonde, JJ was out of his arms and sprinting toward the back of the ambulance. Morgan was about to chase after her, but was halted by a hand on his shoulder. Turning to the side, he saw Rossi standing next to him. The older man spoke slowly as he said, "Let her go, Derek. She needs to go."

Morgan only nodded as he watched JJ hop into the back of the ambulance with the two Paramedics. Truth be told, he wished he could have been in there with the two of them. But he knew the job in the park needed to be finished. He also knew that JJ wouldn't have been any help. In fact, she would most likely only be detrimental in finishing up because of her desire to go see Emily. And so Morgan stood alone as he watched the ambulance speed away into the night, lights flashing and sirens blaring.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Soooooooooooo? What did you think? Reviews are welcomed! As are requests and suggestions. I try to implement anything I get : ) **


	20. Slowly Ticking Clock

**A/N: WOW! Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm so humbled and appreciative of all of them. **

**A/N: As a side note, for those of you who enjoy a fluffy Christmas fic with A LOT of Emily/JJ lovin', check out my other story **_**"This Changes Everything"**_**. **

**ENJOY!**

**-IF-**

JJ sat staring aimlessly at the clock above the waiting room door. She watched as the seconds ticked into minutes, then the minutes ticked into hours.

The moment the ambulance pulled into the bay of the ER at Maryland General Hospital, chaos had broken out. Doctors began calling out orders while nurses scrambled to comply. Without hearing any of it, JJ kept a tight hold on Emily's hand as the stretcher was wheeled into the frantic hospital. The blonde kept her gaze trained on the beaten face before her. But when the hectic group reached the swinging doors to the ER, JJ was forced to break her grasp from Emily's hand and remain on the other side.

Reid had been with her for a while, but he had been called back to the scene to deal with something. He wouldn't tell her what it involved. Not that she really cared, but she feigned interest for his sake. Since Ambassador Prentiss was still being held for observation, Reid reluctantly left with a promise from JJ that the blonde would keep the team informed on the conditions of both women.

So here she sat, alone, in the busy ER waiting room. With crying children, sick adults, and cranky teenagers surrounding her, JJ continued to stare at the slow moving clock. It had been exactly three hours, forty six minutes, and eighteen seconds since she had been forced to leave Emily's side. So absorbed was she in her meticulous time keeping that she almost missed the fact that her Blackberry was vibrating violently in her firm grasp. Lifting the device slowly to her ear, the blonde ground out "Jareau," before looking at the caller ID.

"Mommy, did you find Aunt Emmy?"

JJ immediately had to fight back the sob threatening to escape her throat at hearing the scared voice of her son. "Yeah Buddy, we found her. She's going to be okay," JJ assured. She hated lying to her son, but she didn't have the heart to tell him the truth. Especially since she didn't know the details of Emily's condition yet anyway.

"Pinky pwomise, Mommy?" Henry asked innocently, not knowing his mother couldn't make a promise like that.

JJ delayed her response after hearing Henry's plea. She couldn't very well make a promise like that. But her son sounded as broken as she felt and she only wanted him to be happy. So deciding to divert the question, JJ replied, "I promise to do everything I can to make sure Emily is going to okay Buddy."

"When can I see her? I want to make double chocolate chip pancakes again wif her," Henry finished, tears lacing his tiny voice.

Having to take a moment to compose herself, knowing she wanted nothing more than to recreate that morning with Emily for Henry and herself, JJ replied with much difficulty, "Remember the bad men who took Emily? Well they hurt her too, Henry. She might not be able to make pancakes for a while."

"But you'll make her better. Wight Mommy? You always make my boo-boos feel better, so make Aunt Emmy's boo-boos feel better too."

"I wish it was that easy Henry. I'm going to do everything I can okay? I pinky promise. Now, let me talk to Grandma," JJ finished. She needed to tell her parents about the developments.

"Sweetheart? Is everything alright? Henry just ran into his room crying," Lisa asked in concern as she waited for JJ to respond.

The blonde knew she couldn't go into many details with her mother. Not only because it was against procedure to talk about an open investigation, but also because she knew that if she did, she wouldn't be able to hold herself together. That was one reason she wanted to speak with her mother. If she even heard her father's voice, she would lose whatever inner strength she was desperately grasping at. "Yeah, I just told him that Emily is hurt. Before you ask, I can't talk about it. Just keep Henry occupied for a while longer. I'm at the hospital now, waiting to find out more information. I don't know when I'll be home."

Accepting the fact that right now she wouldn't be getting anything other than this quick update, Lisa said, "Alright Sweetheart. Don't worry about Henry. We'll keep him as long as you need us to. Just let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Mom. Tell Daddy and Henry I love them, too."

"I will, Jenny. We all love you Sweetheart."

And just like that, JJ was left in silence once again. As she glanced up at the clock, she realized she had lost track of the time. But before she could begin anew, a doctor she recognized walked through the swinging doors that Emily had been carted off through. JJ watched in apprehension as the tall man made his way in her direction. When he was finally in front of her, JJ stood as he reached out a hand, "Hello, I'm Dr. Aaron Booth. You're with Agent Prentiss, correct?" Receiving a soft nod from the blonde, the tall, middle aged man continued, "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to her room while I fill you in on what's going on."

JJ didn't utter a word as she blindly followed the plump doctor through the maze of corridors. She knew she would never be able to find her way back out, but that fact was far from her mind. She wasn't even paying attention to a word Dr. Booth was telling her. She knew, for Emily's sake, she should probably listen and be informed, but her brain couldn't focus on processing an actual conversation. The sole thought blaring in her mind, was that she was about to see Emily.

So when the doctor stopped her outside of room 175, she almost felt like everything was happening too fast. She needed time to prepare to see Emily. She needed time to think of something to say. But hadn't she just sat for almost four hours in the waiting, with nothing but time? She didn't get the opportunity to think anymore as Dr. Booth opened the heavy metal door and ushered a silent JJ into the room.

The sight before her took her breath away and buckled her knees. Emily lay alone in a large hospital bed. The drab hospital gown did nothing but accentuate the myriad of bruises littering the woman's face. There were tubes and IVs hooked to both of the brunette's arms and an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth.

Still not hearing a word the doctor was uttering, JJ cautiously made her way to the sole chair in the room. Dragging the offensively purple seat next to the bed, JJ sat down and took Emily's limp hand into her own warm one. Dr. Booth, knowing JJ hadn't been listening from the moment he began walking her to Emily's room, sighed in resignation as he turned to leave the pair. He would have to fill the blonde in later with the details. Luckily, nothing about Emily Prentiss' situation was critical, although he didn't understand how the woman had escaped with as few injuries as she did have. He had been filled in on the cause of her injuries before he had gone to retrieve JJ from the waiting room and he was shocked the brunette had fared as well as she had.

JJ didn't notice when Dr. Booth left the room. All she could focus on was Emily's chest, rising and falling with each labored breath the brunette drew. She didn't know how long she sat there, watching the brunette breathe, but she did know that she felt calmer than she had in the past twenty four hours. Emily was okay. Emily was hurt, but she was lying in front of her, drawing breath after breath.

JJ wasn't sure what compelled her, but she suddenly found herself sitting up straighter as she began talking, "Hey Em. I…um…I don't know if you can hear me, but they always say that if someone is in a coma, you're supposed to talk to them because they can hear you. Right?" JJ swallowed hard as she looked at Emily's battered face again. The bruises, still a vivid purple, covered almost the whole left side of Emily's face. Standing up, and cupping the right side of her face, JJ placed a gentle kiss to the split lip and sat back down. Giving an exhausted laugh, JJ began again, "I don't even know where to begin. Um…Henry called to check on you. He's worried sick about you and keeps asking when he's going to see you again. It breaks my heart to tell him I don't know," JJ said as she raised her eyes to the ceiling to gather her strength again.

After a few moments of silence, JJ looked back down at Emily's face, "God Em, please just open your eyes! Squeeze my hand, wiggle your nose, move your leg, do _something_ to let me know you can hear me." Waiting a moment for a response, JJ continued, "Please Emily, you've _got_ to pull through this. Henry needs you to come back from this, stronger than ever. The team needs you. _I_ need you Emily Prentiss. More than you know right now. And I need you to come back so I can tell you.

"I fought my feelings for you from day one. At first, because I knew nothing about you when you joined the team. But then we became friends, and then best friends, and I didn't want to lose what we had built. You and Henry are my family, my life, my world, and I didn't want to jeopardize that by trying to pursue a relationship with you when my feelings were most likely not reciprocated. But I realize the mistake I made now. I should have fought harder to make you see what I had seen all along. I should have fought harder to make you feel what I felt every time you looked into my eyes. I should have fought harder for your love. Because what is there to fight for in this cold, dark, horrible world, if not love?" JJ persisted. Sometime during her speech, her eyes had fallen to hers and Emily's intertwined hands. The raw skin, glowing an angry red, was still clearly visible from when Emily had been tied up.

Not finished with what she had to say, JJ said, "So please, Emily. Please just open those beautiful brown eyes that I lose myself in every time and let me tell you. Let me tell you that I love you. That I am completely, head over heels, in love with you. Eu me amo, Emily Prentiss," JJ finished as she bent her head down to their interlocked hands and began to sob.

"You realize you just said 'I love me,' right?"

When she heard the scratchy voice above her, JJ's head shot up from its position on the bed as she looked into Emily's pained-laced brown eyes. "What?" she stupidly responded before she could think of an adequate reply.

"When you said, 'Eu me amo,' it means 'I love me,'" Emily finished as a violent cough ripped up her raw throat.

JJ jumped up quickly as she raced to Emily's bedside to pass the glass of water that was resting there to the brunette. Watching as the older woman greedily drank the entire glass, JJ asked when she took back the cup, "So if you heard that, I'm guessing you heard everything else too?"

Emily laid her head back into the itchy pillow under her head. She was slightly elevated due to her bruised ribs, but the pillow was doing nothing to help her get comfortable. And when she heard the question leave the blonde's mouth, she knew it wasn't fair not to answer. But what did JJ expect from her? Last week they were best friends, and now the blonde was confessing her undying love for her? It was all too much. Emily was certain that she was actually in a coma and this reality was in actuality a fantasy that her cruel mind was playing on her. So, avoiding the question but providing the blonde with a response, Emily said, "I'm guessing the doctor didn't inform you that I was not actually in a coma…"

JJ felt her shoulders slump considerably as the weight of the situation fell onto her back. Her heart beat sadly in her chest as she replied in a voice riddled with tears, "Um…he may have actually. I wasn't really paying attention to be honest. I was just focused on seeing you. I'm sorry," JJ murmured as she quickly turned her back to Emily with the ruse of refilling the glass in her hands.

Emily heard the way JJ's voice broke when she muttered 'sorry.' The sound simply broke her own heart. So Emily reached over, with quite a bit of pain, and grabbed JJ's arm, signaling she wanted the blonde to turn around. When she was finally eye to eye, Emily looked deep into the blue orbs and tried to convey everything she felt and needed to say into that one look. She couldn't talk about this right now. Emily Prentiss was used to being in control of every situation, but right now she was physically and emotionally vulnerable in a way she had never been before. She had just been held hostage by two Russian men who had every intention of killing her. She was in an excruciating amount of pain despite the medications she was being given. She could barely see straight, much less think straight. She couldn't add on an emotional discussion about a future with JJ on top of that, regardless of how much she wanted to.

Instead, she conveyed all of her feelings into one look. As JJ gazed into Emily's brown eyes, she saw, for the first time ever, the unguarded Emily Prentiss. Not a wall or compartment was in place. That look alone eased JJ's fears and allowed the blonde to breathe again. They would have this talk, just not right now. So JJ stepped forward, and was just about to place a kiss on Emily's lips when the door opened widely.

Having lost track of time completely, JJ wasn't sure how long she and Emily had been alone. But as Dr. Booth walked in, she realized it must have been a while since the Ambassador was close behind him. Not giving the doctor time to address anyone, Elizabeth ran forward to the other side of Emily's bed and took the brunette's hand into her own, "Oh Emily dear, I was worried sick about you. Thank goodness you are alright!" She exclaimed as she bent her head forward and rested her forward against Emily's relatively unscathed right temple.

JJ watched helplessly as Emily's eyes became guarded and distant again. She could see that Emily was shocked at the reaction from her mother, but JJ had to remind herself that Emily didn't see the way Elizabeth had reacted to her kidnapping.

Emily couldn't understand what was going on when she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She knew she wasn't crying. But as her mother pulled back to look into her eyes, Emily saw the reddened and puffy eyes of her mother hovering over her. To further confuse the profiler, Elizabeth placed a gentle, maternal kiss to Emily's temple, where her head had just been resting. Emily thought silently to herself, _"This woman is not my mother,"_ before directing her gaze back to the doctor.

When Dr. Booth had all three sets of eyes trained on him, he knew it was finally his turn to speak, "Well Emily, you got pretty lucky considering the circumstances. You have sustained substantial bruising to your face and abdominal region. You have 3 bruised ribs, but nothing serious. Your most serious injury was your concussion. But from what I can tell, it was an injury you possessed prior to the hostage situation. Miraculously, the concussion was not exacerbated by the beating you received," Dr. Booth finished rather callously. When he saw the horrified expression of the two women on either side of Emily, he thought belatedly that his wording may have been a bit harsh, albeit unintentional.

Seeing that neither JJ nor her mother was going to say anything, Emily spoke up, "Okay, so when can I go home?"

Glancing at his charts to consult a few of Emily's tests, Dr. Booth finally said, "You could actually leave whenever you like. There is nothing we can do for you now other than administer pain medication. But I can write you a prescription you can have filled. Now, I will suggest you stay with someone, or have someone stay with you, for a few weeks while you're ribs and concussion heal. You'll probably need help for a while. Also, I want you to follow up with your doctor at home in two weeks to check on your progress. Any questions?" Receiving blank stares from the two women and an excited head shake from Emily, the doctor continued, "Okay then, I'll send a nurse in with the discharge papers."

When the doctor left the room, JJ looked worriedly down at Emily. She wasn't too sure this was such a good idea. Emily was still hurt badly and was in a lot of pain, she could see it in her brown eyes. But she also knew the woman would recover quicker in a more comfortable environment. She wanted nothing more than to be the one to care for Emily, but with the Ambassador in the picture now, JJ knew Elizabeth was probably going to demand to take care of Emily's wellbeing.

But what the Ambassador said next, surprised the blonde, "Emily, dear, you know I would love nothing more than to take care of you, but I've got to fly to Portugal. I've got a meeting with the Prime Minister that I simply cannot cancel. It took me months to set up this meeting and to cancel now would be horribly detrimental to my career. I'm terribly sorry. You understand, don't you dear? I'll be back within a week and I can take care of you then."

Now this was the woman Emily was accustomed to dealing with, "Yes mother, I'm sure I can make do without you."

Looking at the Ambassador in horror, JJ saw that the woman had retreated behind her barriers once again. And even though she knew Emily was accustomed to her mother's disappointing habits, it still broke her heart to watch the brunette being rejected by the one person in the world who should love her unconditionally. So deciding to step in, JJ quickly offered, "I can stay with you Emily. You've already got that room set up for Henry and you've got a guest bedroom I can stay in. We can stay with you until you get well," the blonde finished hopefully. She didn't think Emily would turn her down, but she was still on edge from Emily's lack of conversation earlier.

"JJ, I couldn't ask you to do that. And Henry…"

But before Emily could finish, JJ cut her off, "You're not asking, I'm offering. Besides, I'm pretty sure Henry loves your condo more than he likes our house. Please Emily, let me take care of you," JJ pleaded.

As Emily looked up into JJ's teary blue eyes, she knew there was nothing she could ever really deny the blonde, "Very well. But the moment you or Henry wants to go home, don't hesitate."

JJ nodded her head as her smile grew larger. She wanted to say something more to Emily but Elizabeth began talking to her about this alleged meeting in Portugal. So instead, JJ silently slipped away from the duo and made her way out of the room. She needed to call the team and tell them about Emily's situation. She knew they would be worried sick by this time. But first, she had to make a phone call to Garcia.

JJ didn't have to wait more than one ring before the tech guru picked up, "Tell me you got our girl."

"Yeah, we've got her. I'm at the hospital now with her…"

Garcia was quick to cut JJ off, "Oh God! Is she okay? She's in a coma isn't she? I just know she is…"

This time, JJ cut Garcia off forcefully, "Calm down Pen! Emily's fine and she's not in a coma. She's beaten up pretty badly though. She's got some bruised ribs and a concussion, but those are her worst injuries. She looks worse than she actually is. She's actually about to get released."

Hearing the good news, Garcia finally calmed down and said, "Oh thank God Buttercup! I was worried there for a second. So, what now?"

"Well, the doctor suggested she be with someone to help her, so Henry and I are going to stay with her until she gets better," JJ finished. She was reluctant to tell Garcia this, but she knew that the blonde woman would find out anyway, she it was always best to just come clean.

Pausing for a moment because she hadn't expected this new development, Garcia finally responded, "So, you're going to be one big happy family, huh? Should I start shopping for wedding locations now or maybe I should start with looking for the engagement ring?"

Having expected the teasing, JJ was actually grateful for the humor. It had been a rough few days and she needed the release, "It's not like that Pen and you know it. I just wanted to call and fill you in. I've still got to call Hotch and let him know what's going on."

"Alright JJ, whatever you say. I'll have a selection of Princess cut diamond engagement rings for you to look over when you come back to work. I need to know what you want so that when Emily comes to ask me, I'll already have it picked out for you," Garcia sing-songed into the phone line.

"Wait, how did you know that's the kind of ring I wanted?" JJ asked shocked. She couldn't even believe she was having this conversation.

"Are you really that surprised? You forget I know everything." Before JJ could respond or inquire further, she heard the dial tone.

Sighing in acknowledgment of Garcia's antics, the blonde quickly dialed Hotch's number to tell him she would need one of the SUV's to take Emily home. As she looked to her watch, JJ groaned as she read 7:43am. It was going to be a long day. She still had to get Emily home, have her parents drop Henry off, and fill all of Emily's medications. But regardless of the circumstances surrounding the reason, JJ was still excited to be spending the next few weeks with Emily.

Finishing with Hotch, JJ made her way back into the hospital room and sat back down in her purple chair. She automatically took hold of Emily's free hand and cradled it gently between her two warm ones.

As if noticing for the first time that she was not alone with her daughter, Elizabeth glanced over and stared for a moment at the blonde. Abruptly standing up, Emily's hand fell ungracefully to the bed below it. JJ watched as the brunette winced in pain from the sudden movement. Clearing her throat loudly so as to command the attention from the two women, the Ambassador, in her full on political persona, said, "I must be on my way now. I've yet to pack a bag."

JJ watched as Elizabeth's eye displayed her conflicting emotions. But unlike Emily, the Ambassador fell back into the comfort of her former persona and leaned down to place a brief kiss to her daughter's brown hair before pulling back and saying, "Goodbye dear."

Emily watched with sadden eyes as her mother's retreating figure finally disappeared from view. While still staring at the cream colored metal door, she smiled when she heard JJ's soft voice, "Looks like it's just you and me, Kid."

Understanding that the blonde was simply trying to lighten the mood and prevent Emily from dwelling on the fact her mother had abandoned her yet again, Emily played along, "You do realize I'm older than you right?"

Shrugging her shoulders in playful banter, JJ retorted, "By years lived on this Earth, yes. But I'm basing my statement off of maturity level, in which case, I am the clear victor."

"Are you kidding me? You can't say or hear the word 'balls' without breaking out into fits of uncontrollable laughter!" As JJ struggled to maintain her straight face, she finally failed as she hunched over in her seat and allowed the laughter to overcome her body. "See? Epic fail. Point: Emily Prentiss."

And so the two women continued to banter back and forth for the time being. Neither ventured into any emotional territory, instead choosing to enjoy each other's company. JJ kept her hands clasped around Emily's as she stayed firmly seated in her chair. Even when the nurse came to have Emily fill the paperwork out, JJ kept her hands resting on the profiler's leg, needing to sustain a physical link with the brunette. As soon as Emily handed the clipboard back, she gladly found her hand immediately nestled in between JJ's again.

What Emily hadn't noticed when the nurse had entered the room, was another orderly had also come in and slipped a last dosage of pain meds into her IV. JJ watched as Emily fought to keep her heavy eyelids from drooping and shutting all together. Releasing one of her hands, JJ reached up and cupped Emily's face before saying, "Go to sleep Emily. You'll need your energy for the trip home."

Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, Emily managed only to get out, "You'll be here when I wake up?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Em. I promise I'll be right here," JJ assured as she watched Emily finally succumb to sleep. Just before the brown eyes had slipped shut, JJ had seen the vulnerability glowing in the deep brown. Resigning herself to keeping a vigilant watch over Emily, the blonde hunkered down in her chair. She kept her blue eyed gaze on the beaten face and she began nodding off. Hotch had told her it was still a mess at the crime scene. He had regretfully informed her that it would be close to four more hours before they could get to the hospital.

Wanting to capitalize on the short time she had, JJ leaned her head back against the top of the chair and allowed her eyes to flutter closed. With Emily's hand securely in hers, the warmth radiating up the entire length of her arm to spread welcomed across her body, JJ easily fell into a soft slumber.

Elizabeth Prentiss stood outside her daughter's hospital door and gazed in through the small rectangle window. She looked at the two women sleeping peacefully in each other's presence. She knew, deep down, that she should be in that room taking care of her daughter as well. But years of distance and years of an emotionless life had resurfaced. Sensing that Emily had broken out of that robotic persona that had been ingrained in her since birth, Elizabeth had panicked. She wasn't ready to start a relationship with her daughter that didn't involve political dinners and obligatory social gatherings. So doing what she did best, she turned her back on Emily.

As she stood watching the two women bask in the love they had for each other, Elizabeth was at least grateful that Emily had someone in her life that would care for her. That fact alone made leaving her daughter that much easier. As the Ambassador turned to leave the hospital, she vowed to herself that once she returned from Portugal, she would connect with her daughter. This whole ordeal had forced her to reevaluate her priorities in life. She hadn't told Emily that this meeting was for her to officially withdraw as the Ambassador for Portugal. When she came back to her daughter, Elizabeth Prentiss would be a changed woman.

**-IF-**

**A/N: As always, leave a review! I'd love to hear your suggestions or to take requests. Also, for those who suggested a coma, I hope this lived up to what you had in mind! I didn't want to put her in an actual coma because I'm not patient enough (I want to get them together soon!). But at the same time, I still wanted JJ to confess her feelings. So how did I do? **


	21. I'm Scared

** A/N: I could try to make up excuses, but I won't. Mainly because there aren't any valid ones. So sorry for the delay! Hope this is worth it though : )**

**-IF-**

"You know we're going to have agents stationed outside around the clock, right?"

JJ sighed as she looked up into Morgan's concerned eyes. He had been the one to drive her and Emily back to Emily's condo even though JJ insisted that she could do it herself. "I know. I kind of figured as much actually," the blonde responded as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and shifter to her other foot.

"You sure you don't want me to stay?" Morgan asked as he reached out and placed a comforting hand on JJ's shoulder. Though the smaller woman was putting up a brave front, he could tell the stress was wearing on her. "We may not have to worry about the two goons, but the big boss could possibly still have it out for our girl."

Looking down at the floor between them, JJ allowed herself a moment to think. Morgan's hand was comforting and welcomed in its ability to calm her. It didn't have quite the same effect as Emily's touch, but it was a reprieve nonetheless. Lifting her eyes once more, JJ attempted to assure the large profiler, "No Morgan. I'll be fine. _We'll_ be fine. Besides, you've got paperwork to fill out and I wouldn't want to have to ride your ass if you got behind."

Morgan grinned at the attempted humor. He was still shaken up from the whole case, but he knew JJ was more affected than he was and he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself and Emily, "You know you're going to have to eventually fill out your own paperwork, too."

"Yeah, yeah. I know, but seeing as to how I control all the deadlines, I can procrastinate on mine. Now get out of here before Hotch comes looking for you," JJ said as she ushered Morgan towards the kitchen door.

"Alright! Alright! Anxious to get Prentiss alone, JJ?" Morgan's smirk deepened as he saw a blush spread across JJ's pale cheeks. Operation 'Jem' was still sitting in the back of his mind. He'd have to tell Garcia about this development. Before JJ succeeded in pushing him all the way out the door, Morgan stopped and turned serious for a moment, "Seriously JJ, call me if anything happens. And I mean _anything._"

Hearing the serious nature of Morgan's words, JJ looked deep into the man's eyes and replied, "I will Derek, I promise."

"Alright, well I'll catch you two lovely ladies later. I'll stop by soon." With that Morgan placed a brotherly kiss to the top of JJ's head and closed the door behind him as he left. The door had already been replaced while Emily had been in the hospital. Hotch had made sure it was done before the women got back. After Morgan walked through the door, JJ slid the deadbolt home with a reassuring click and immediately turned on the security system. So she was a littler paranoid. Who wouldn't be?

Turning and walking towards Emily's bedroom, JJ decided to check on the brunette before she headed to the guest room to get some much needed sleep. Henry would be coming over tomorrow when her parents brought him, so she needed to enjoy the peace and quiet while she could.

Entering the master bedroom, JJ stood for a moment and just took in Emily. The brunette was in the very center of her king size bed. She was lying on her back with the covers pulled up to her chest. The bruising on Emily's face was still a vibrant purple and her lip was scabbed over where it had busted. The red circles of raw skin from the bindings on Emily's wrists were bright and almost glowing against the surrounding slightly tanned skin. Those were only the injuries she could see. The worst of Emily's injuries fell where they couldn't be seen. The bruised ribs and the concussion were what had JJ worried. As she and Morgan tried to move Emily from the car, though the brunette was still under the effects of the pain medications, the profiler had groaned in pain at the slightest movement.

Knowing that JJ needed to wake Emily up just to check on her, the blonde headed over to the edge of the bed and sat down gently so as not to disturb the sleeping woman. Reaching over and brushing some dark locks of hair off the side of Emily's face, JJ quietly coaxed the sleeping agent out of her drug induced slumber, "Hey Em, wake up. I need to check on you."

Grunting in protest, Emily eventually opened her eyes. Though the brown orbs were hazy with pain medication and not coherent for the most part, they instantly found the blue eyes hovering above and locked on. The brunette smiled softly at JJ and attempted to lift her arm to cup the blonde's face. But Emily quickly found the movement was not a good idea when she felt the sudden and sharp pain of her bruised ribs spreading through her chest.

JJ didn't miss the grimace of pain that crossed Emily's battered face. Acting quickly, she reached out and took the profiler's hand in her own and set them both on the bed. She maintained eye contact with Emily while she said, "Hey, don't move. You're still hurt. But you're at home now okay? I just wanted to check on you before I go lay down to sleep. Do you need anything?" Receiving a slight shake of the head, JJ started to remove herself from the large bed. Placing a soft kiss to Emily's head, JJ said, "Goodnight Emily."

As JJ turned to leave, she felt Emily's hand tighten around her own. Turning around to face the brunette, the media liaison gave a quizzical look. After licking her dry lips, Emily's raspy voice barely reached above a whisper, but JJ was able to make out the one word she murmured, "Stay."

That one word, whispered as though it took all of Emily's strength and effort to say, warmed JJ's heart and caused it to swell with love for the brunette. And though she wanted nothing more than to stay with Emily, she was also realistic in the fact that it probably wasn't the safest thing for Emily's healing. "That's probably not a good idea, Em. I don't want to hurt you."

Hearing the blonde's refusal as though through a thick cloud, Emily didn't know much other than she didn't want JJ to leave. So forcing herself to open her eyes and find JJ's blue ones, Emily said with more authority and conviction, "Stay, Jen. Please."

Knowing that she couldn't deny Emily anything, especially something that she wanted to do anyway, JJ simply nodded as she crawled into bed beside the brunette. Emily stayed lying in the center, on her back, while JJ turned on her side so she could see the woman beside her. Since she couldn't hold the profiler the way she would like, the blonde laced their fingers together as she watched Emily fall back into a deep slumber. After watching the brunette sleep for a while, JJ finally fell into a light sleep herself. Neither woman moved all night, each taking comfort from their interlocked fingers.

**-IF-**

Emily winced silently as she stirred from her deep slumber. Groggy from the pain medications still coursing through her system, Emily wasn't entirely sure of where she was. But as her eyes focused to the early morning light beginning to stream through her window, she looked around and noticed she was safely at home. Straining to remember, Emily could not recall how she had gotten from Baltimore to her king size bed. The last thing she remembered was joking with JJ in the hospital. This was exactly why she hated pain medications.

Realizing what had woken her up, Emily felt the pull to the bathroom strengthen as her bladder felt like it was about to burst. Before she could move an inch, the brunette felt a squeeze to her left hand at the same time she heard a soft sigh released next to her. Slowly turning her pounding head, Emily spotted JJ sleeping peacefully next to her. The blonde was sprawled on her stomach with the pillow pushed up towards the headboard so her head was directly on the mattress. Emily didn't even try to fight the smile that started to spread across her face. JJ's blonde hair lay in a halo of gold around the woman's porcelain face while her left hand was wrapped tightly around Emily's.

JJ's confession in the hospital roomed jumped to the forefront of Emily's mind as she sat and gazed down at the sleeping woman. It was a confession the brunette had dreamed of hearing, but had never really thought it possible. So naturally, when she heard the media liaison saying all that she had said, Emily had thrown her walls up and attempted to guard her heart. This was dangerous and uncharted territory. But she knew that she could only put off the inevitable talk for so long. Eventually JJ would wear her down. Eventually, her heart wouldn't let her avoid the unavoidable.

Feeling the urge of her bladder once more, Emily knew she had to stop staring and JJ. So struggling heavily, Emily eventually made her way off the bed. With every movement, every step, every breath, she had to steady herself. The pain medications had mostly worn off by now so the pain from her ribs radiated to encompass her entire body. She could feel the shooting agony spread through her ribs, down her arms and legs, to finally tingle in her hands and feet. And with each unsteady step, her head pounded more vigorously than before. Though the pain medications would take away the anguish, she couldn't stand another day of her mind being groggily slow and uncomprehending.

After much difficulty, Emily was finally able to use the restroom and stand back up. Emily hesitated in approaching the mirror knowing the injuries on her face were severe. Not only had her mother grimace while looking at her, but JJ was so gentle, so careful with her motions and movements. And though the blonde tried to hide it, there was always a grimace poorly concealed every time her blue eyes found Emily's face. The brunette knew her face had to be bruised, not just because of her ability to read the pained expressions on her loved ones faces, but also because she could recall the Russian man's fists repeatedly beating her. Taking a deep breath, Emily thought _"Now or never,"_ as she shuffled towards the sink.

Emily's first reaction was to gasp in shock. But when the sudden movement of her lungs caused her ribs to scream in protest, the brunette could do nothing but stand in stunned silence and stare at herself. She had _never_ looked worse. Vivid bruises, ranging from black to purple, covered nearly her entire face. Her lip was busted and blood had dried in the crevice of the cut. Her eyes were both swollen and blackened. The laceration on her forehead from before the kidnapping was now sporting several stitches. Emily did not recognize the beaten and broken face that was staring back at her from the mirror.

Looking down to her watch, Emily saw it was 7:46am. She couldn't remember the last time she had bathed, so she felt the sudden desire to shower. She needed to wash the dirt and grime from the Russian men from her body. They hadn't violated her sexually, but simply being helpless in their presence when she was normally so in control had left her feeling dirty. She needed to wash the feelings, and the memories, away.

Deep down, she knew she needed to wait until JJ could help her. But that truth was buried under layers of stubbornness and independence. Emily hadn't needed to depend on anyone since she was a child, and she certainly was not going to start now. So determinately, the brunette discarded her sweat pants, the ones of which she had no recollection of putting on, and then moved to discard her shirt. This was a moment she immensely wished she had been dressed in one of the dozens of button up shirts she possessed. Instead, she was clothed in her oversize FBI sleep shirt.

Holding her breath to steel herself, Emily went to quickly raise her shirt off her head in one quick motion, like removing a band-aide. But instead of being able to completely remove the shirt, Emily only succeeded in removing one arm before having to bring both of her arms back down to wrap around her torso. The motion had jarred her ribs and caused the ever present pain to spark to life with a vengeance. The pain was so great that Emily lost her breath and hastily sat down on the tiled floor, with her back to the tub. Bringing her knees up to her chest, the brunette wrapped her arms tightly around her legs and placed her forehead to rest against the top. So Emily sat there, silently crying into her knees, waiting for the pain to subside.

**-IF-**

The blonde woman woke up and stretched leisurely while a broad smile widened on her face. She had slept peacefully the night before, and she knew it was yet again, because of Emily. With a glance to the beside clock, she saw the time read 7:58am. Her parents would be bringing Henry by in about thirty minutes, which gave her enough time to take care of Emily. Turning her head to finally rest her eyes on the brunette, JJ immediately sat up in a panic when she saw the spot beside her empty. Running a hand over the sheet, JJ felt the area was cold, indicating Emily had been gone for a while.

Forcing herself to calm down, JJ knew she had to think logically. Emily could not have been kidnapped again last night without her knowledge. They had shared a bed. That kind of movement would have woken her up. So focusing her attention to listening for any sounds Emily could be making, JJ calmed her erratic breathing for a moment. At first, she heard nothing. But after a few tense seconds, the blonde heard whimpering coming from the master bathroom. Looking in the direction of the closed door, JJ knew the bathroom door had remained open last night.

Quickly scurrying off the bed, JJ almost sprinted to the door and was about the burst in unannounced before she thought better of it. Emily wouldn't appreciate the interruption if JJ found her in a compromising situation. Instead, she opted to knock first and try to coax her way in, "Emily, are you in there? Are you okay?"

At first, JJ didn't hear anything. Even the crying had stopped. But just when she was about to knock again, she heard a tiny voice respond, "I'm fine, JJ."

"Then why are you crying? I can hear you out here."

Emily paused in her response. Looking up to the door handle, she cursed herself for not remembering to lock the damn thing. There was no way she would be able to move at the moment to lock the knob now. She could only hope that JJ didn't choose today to be her usual stubborn self. "I said I'm fine. Just go away."

The demand tore a tiny shred off of JJ's heart. She knew Emily would be resistant about accepting any help, but she didn't expect the brunette to completely push her away. Swallowing her pride, JJ decided she wasn't going to let Emily do that. She knew the profiler was just trying to hide behind her walls and inside her compartments. The blonde couldn't really blame her though. The woman _did_ just get kidnapped, beaten and almost killed. "I'm not leaving you Emily." Jiggling the handle, JJ found the knob was unlocked. Knowing Emily would probably be pissed off, but knowing that she needed to check on the brunette, JJ decided to go in, "I'm coming in, okay?"

Taking Emily's silence as approval, JJ pushed the door open and gasped as what she saw. Emily was curled into the fetal position on the ground. Emily had taken off her sweat pants and had one arm out of the sleep shirt she and Morgan had helped the brunette into the night before. JJ could see the boy short underwear and the black sports bra that did nothing to cover the severe bruising that spread around Emily's torso.

Falling to her knees next to the brunette, JJ rambled, "Oh Emily! Why didn't you wait for me to help you? Are you okay? Where are you hurting? Or rather, where are you hurting most? What do you need me to do?" JJ wanted nothing more than to pull Emily into her arms and hold her. But she was hesitant to move the profiler in fear of hurting her already bruised ribs. Instead, she allowed her hands to float helplessly above the limp body on the tile floor.

Emily didn't comprehend half of what JJ had asked. She couldn't seem to fight through the fog of pain that was clouding her mind. Instead, she said the first thing that came to her mind, "I'm sorry." As a child, if she ever got hurt, her mother would tell her to act strong, like a Prentiss, and stop whining like a baby. That led to the inevitable apology that was expected after such an embarrassing breakdown.

The whispered words brought JJ to a shocked silence. She choked for a moment on her words as they halted in her throat. "Why are you apologizing Emily? You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I'm sorry because…because you have to care for me. I should be able to do this myself," Emily wheezed out as she tried to catch her breath. She was still having difficulty fighting the pain, but JJ's presence seemed to help ease the worst of it.

At the comment, JJ couldn't stand the lack of contact any longer. She sat Indian style on the tile floor as she positioned Emily's head in her lap. Running her fingers through the think brown locks, JJ finally found the words to respond, "You've got to learn to let people help you Emily. Please don't be sorry. I'm here to help you and I am _not_ going anywhere. Please, just let me take care of you."

Emily swallowed the heavy emotions sitting on her tongue. This is the love she had missed growing up. This is what she needed now, more than anything. But this was the one thing she didn't know how to let herself have. She still had the overwhelming fear that by letting JJ in, she would end up hurt in the end. "I don't know how. I've always had to take care of myself," Emily confessed. She never shared much about her childhood with anyone, so even revealing this much was progress for her.

"Well I do Emily. I can show you, you just have to let me in. Please Em, stop pushing me away," JJ responded. She meant that in more ways than one and she just hoped that Emily understood that. She wanted to care for Emily while she was physically unable to care for herself, but she also wanted to mend and love Emily's broken heart.

Emily heard the desperation in JJ's voice. It was an emotion she wasn't used to hearing come from the strong media liaison. But that just showed Emily how serious the blonde was about her comment. And she also knew that JJ had meant more than just one thing from the statement, but she was terrified of that. "I'm scared, Jen."

Hearing the vulnerable inflection coming from the normally confident profiler, JJ knew she had broken through at least one wall. "I know. I am too. But you have to trust me, Em. I love you. I'm _in_ love with you. But you know that. I confessed as much when I thought you were in a coma." JJ paused to laugh humorlessly at the memory from the day before. "And I know you can't necessarily reply in kind to that, but I understand. I understand that you need to trust my feelings for you are true before you'll let me have your heart. I respect that. I'll wait forever if I have to. But in the meantime, please trust me enough to let me show you and care for you. Deal?" JJ finished as she looked down at the woman she loved.

Emily turned her head to make eye contact with the blonde above her. JJ had just said everything the brunette needed to hear to feel more secure in their budding relationship. Knowing she needed to reassure the blonde somewhat, Emily replied, "I care for you. More than you may know."

JJ leaned down and placed a soft kiss to Emily's forehead. When she pulled back, she saw they both had tears glistening in their eyes. Smiling a watery smile, JJ began to say something more when she heard a loud banging coming from the newly installed garage door. Snapping her head up for a moment, JJ listened for any further clue as to who could be at the door. When she looked back down into Emily's eyes, she saw the poorly hidden fear dancing in the pools of brown. Though Emily has been portraying a sense of calm and acceptance about her kidnapping, JJ knew the brunette was still very paranoid and rattled from the experience.

JJ gave Emily one more kiss, this time to her lips, before whispering, "I'll be right back. Wait here." Not waiting for a response, JJ quickly rose from her place on the ground after gently laying the brunette's head back on the tile floor. The blonde went into Emily's bedroom and crept to the nightstand closest to the side she slept on last night. Reaching for her Glock, JJ quickly exited the master bedroom silently and made her way to the garage door. She wouldn't let any harm befall Emily this time, not if she could help it.

**-IF-**

**A/N: Please review and let me know you're still with me! So sorry again for the delay! Good news is I've got the next chapter nearly done…and there will be Henry! **


	22. Transformers

**A/N: HOLY MOLEY! Y'all are awesome! I've never ever gotten that many reviews for a single chapter! Thank you so much! I hope y'all like this one as much : )**

**-IF-**

Adrenaline raced through her veins as she crept closer and closer to the kitchen door. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her vision was focused on the door handle. Taking a deep breath before placing a surprisingly steady hand on the knob, JJ braced herself for whatever lay outside. Logically, she should realize a person of threat wouldn't knock on the door, but she was taking no chances with Emily's safety.

Gripping the knob tighter, JJ was just about to rip the door open and level her weapon on the alleged intruder when she heard her son's impatient voice on the other side, "Gwandma, what's taking Mommy so long?" JJ quickly glanced to the clock located above the stove. 8:37am. She hadn't realized her and Emily had spent so long in the bathroom.

The media liaison heard the rapping of another knock resounding in the silent kitchen. Taking a short moment to compose herself and to holster her gun in the waistband of her sweats, JJ tried to calm her still pounding heart. Forcing a smile onto her face, the blonde opened the door and greeted her family.

"Mommy!" Henry cheered as he threw himself into JJ's waiting arms. In his typical fashion, JJ felt her son bury his face deep into her neck and inhale. Even though it had simply been a few days without him, JJ felt herself relax while holding her small boy. And even though she had been hoping for more time alone with Emily, the blonde was grateful to have her son in her arms again. His simplistic and carefree view on life helped her appreciate everything so much more.

"Hey Buddy. I've missed you," JJ admitted as she wrapped her arms a little tighter around Henry. After placing a chaste kiss to his blonde head of hair, mother and son pulled away to share a gaze of understanding.

"I missed you too Mommy," Henry responded as he leaned in and placed a kiss of his own on JJ's cheek. "Where's Aunt Emmy? I made something for her." JJ chuckled as she noticed for the first time the page of construction paper in Henry's right hand. Leave it to her impatient son to get right to the point.

JJ looked hesitantly towards Emily's closed bedroom door. She didn't know what state the brunette was in at the moment. She didn't know if the profiler was still lying in the bathroom floor or if she had made her way back to bed. Regardless, JJ knew she needed to get Emily prepared before she allowed Henry in to see her. "Actually Buddy, Emily is still asleep. She's trying to get all better. Why don't you go put a movie in and I'll come get you as soon as she wakes up. Deal?"

JJ felt bad as soon as she saw Henry's shoulders sag with disappointment. She knew he had been waiting to see Emily and that he missed her terribly. But she also knew this was for the best right now. "Okay, Mommy," Henry mumbled dejectedly as he slipped from his mother's grasp and slowly walked into the living room.

"Make sure to keep the volume down, okay Henry?" JJ called as an afterthought. If Emily was asleep, she wouldn't want to be woken up by the noises of whatever movie Henry was going to put in.

"Yes ma'am," the blonde heard Henry grumble. She knew he wasn't happy right now, but she also knew that Henry wouldn't disobey her in fear of upsetting Emily.

After JJ watched Henry expertly work the elaborate entertainment system and settle on the sofa, JJ turned back to face her parents standing just inside the now closed, and locked, kitchen door. Without a word spoken, Richard opened his arms just as JJ leapt forward. Crashing into her father's waiting embrace, JJ finally allowed herself to let go of all the emotions she had been holding onto since Emily went missing. The media liaison let down her tough exterior and brave front and sobbed silently as her father cradled her limp body. Lisa didn't remain idle. JJ felt her mother run her fingers through her golden hair and rub comforting circles on her heaving back. It wasn't very often that JJ cried. And normally, when she did break down, it wasn't in front of other people. But her parents had seen her at her worst, thus they knew just what to do to comfort her.

After a good, long while, JJ's silent sobs finally tapered off into the occasional sniffle. Drawing the last bit of relief she could from her father's sheltering arms and her mother's soothing touches, JJ pulled back and led her parents to sit at the kitchen table. When they all sat, Richard reached forward and wrapped a large, warm hand over JJ's small one and asked, "You alright, Sport?"

JJ smiled gratefully to her father before squeezing his hand to back up her next words, "I'm okay now Daddy, I just needed to let all that out. I've been trying to be so strong for Emily, so when I saw you, I just kind of lost it."

At the mention of the brunette, Lisa reached her own hands forward and placed them on her daughter's outstretched arm, "How is Emily?"

Bringing her one free hand up, JJ ran her fingers shakily through her hair. It was one thing for her to know of Emily's injuries, but it was a completely different story to try and explain them to her parents. JJ, being the BAU's media liaison, was aware of the darkness that some people harbored deep within their souls. But her parents, a couple from a small Pennsylvania town, would probably not be able to fully comprehend how one human could be so brutal to another.

But describe it she did. JJ got lost in the explanation to the point where she lost track of time and of her surroundings. She was so engrossed in reliving the events that she felt herself being drawn back into the blind terror, the desperate need to find Emily. JJ knew her mother had simply wanted to know if Emily was okay, but once the blonde began talking about the events that transpired, she couldn't stop herself from telling her parents everything.

Richard and Lisa looked at each other worriedly as they watched JJ retell the events of the last few days. They could see that JJ was no longer with them, her eyes were glazed over and she appeared to be looking at something that neither of them could see. But they also knew that their daughter needed this moment. So they sat and provided silent support as their daughter lost herself more and more to the tragic memories.

So engrossed in each other, none of the three adults noticed as Henry slipped past and made his way stealthily towards Emily's bedroom. As he reached the closed door, he cast one more cautious glance into the kitchen before turning the doorknob and sliding inside. Gently pushing the door closed behind him, Henry turned to face the spacious bedroom with his present for Emily held tightly in his tiny hand. He knew that if his mother found him, he would be in big trouble, but he was tired of waiting.

Being too short to see on top of the bed, Henry crept forward until he was at the edge nearest the door. Jumping with all his might, Henry caught a glimpse and could see that Emily was not asleep like his mother had said. A little mad that his mom lied to him, Henry stalked to the foot of the bed and looked around. His Aunt Emmy was in here somewhere.

Looking ahead of him, Henry noticed that the door to the bathroom was cracked open a little bit. Knowing there was nowhere else to look, Henry knew Emily would be in the bathroom. And just as he was about to open the door, he remembered his mom telling him that you always, always, _always_, knock on the bathroom door; especially if a girl is inside. So lifting his free fist, Henry rapped his knuckles on the door and whispered loudly, "Aunt Emmy, are you in there?"

Emily cringed as she heard Henry's tiny voice outside the bathroom door. She had luckily calmed down enough to get off the floor and put her bath robe on, but she still didn't want Henry to see her like this. She was worried that she would scare him with the bruising all over her face. "Aunt Emmy, I made you somfing. You wanna see it?"

Emily could already feel the tears building in her eyes. She couldn't deny that boy anything, even if the sight of her face might scare him. So taking a shaky breath, Emily called out, "Yeah Champ, I want to see it. Just wait there for a minute okay?"

"Okay!" Henry called happily as he skipped to the bed. He gently placed his present on the bed before he tried to heave himself up as well. It took nearly four attempts, but the small boy finally succeeded. He scurried up to the head of the bed and settled down to wait for Emily to emerge from the bathroom.

Still groggy from the pain medication running through her blood stream, Emily fumbled with the medicine cabinet as she pulled her concealer from behind the mirror. She was going to attempt to cover up as much of the damage done to her face as she could. But as she closed the mirror back and really stared at herself for the second time that morning, she knew it would be a pointless attempt. So with shaky steps and slow progress, Emily finally opened the door and walked into the bedroom.

The reaction she expected from Henry is not what she received. She expected the boy to scream and run from the room in terror. Instead, as she approached the edge of the bed, she watched as Henry rose onto his knees and crawl to the edge as well. When they were both at the edge, Emily standing and Henry kneeling on the bed, the two looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Then, as though he understood the severity of Emily's condition, Henry slowly raised his free hand and gently ran his fingertips along Emily's bruised cheek.

Feeling the tender touch of the young child, Emily closed her eyes against the torrent of emotions flooding her. She had tried to put her walls back in place to prepare for Henry's reaction, but with his soft touch, she felt every wall she had built before she emerged from the bathroom, and every wall that was in place to keep JJ at bay, tumble down. There was no way she had the willpower or the strength to fight against what she was feeling now.

After Henry inspected Emily's face and gently touched every bruise he could see, he placed a soft kiss to the brunette's cheek before pulling back to look into her eyes again. When he had eye contact, he finally whispered, "Does it huwt Aunt Emmy?"

Almost unable to control her emotions enough to speak, Emily slowly shook her head as she responded in a rough voice, "Not anymore. You made it better, Champ." With a weak smile and a watery gaze, Emily leaned forward to place a comforting kiss to Henry's light blonde hair. As she held onto that connection for a few moments, Emily relished in the touch. When she had been kidnapped, she had honestly thought she would never see Henry again. So to feel his careful touch and to smell his baby shampoo and to gaze into his blue eyes so much like his mother's was almost too much for her.

Finally pulling back, Emily looked into Henry's bright blue eyes again. Before she could say anything more, Henry's smile grew as he exclaimed, "Look what I made for you Aunt Emmy! I did it all by myself wif no help fwom Gwandma or Gwandpa! They even let me use the scissors all by myself."

Emily reached forward and took the construction paper from Henry's outstretched hand. The paper contained different cut outs of what she assumed were transformers. Really, the different colored pieces glued to the black sheet of paper just looked like blobs with no clear outline. But being that anything that Henry had ever drawn had been related to the cartoon, she could only guess that she was holding Henry's further artwork of the program. Not having to wonder much longer, Emily watched as Henry began pointing out different blobs and she listened as he listed them off, "See? There is Bumblebee, Iwonhide, Jazz, Watchet, and Optimus Pwime! And look, I even put down 'Get Well Soon. I Wove You Aunt Henwy.' Gwandma helped me wif that pawt though."

Trying desperately to hold back her tears, Emily slowly wrapped her arms around Henry and said, "I love it Champ. I'm going to put it on my nightstand so I see it before I go to sleep and when I wake up. It makes me feel better already." As though knowing that jostling Emily would cause her pain, Henry waited until the brunette pulled back from the embrace before he moved. When Emily looked to the bedside alarm clock, she saw it read 9:26am. "Hey guess what is about to come on?"

"Twansfowmers!" Henry jumped up and ran to the top of the bed where he plopped back down on the far side. "Come on Aunt Emmy! Huwwy up and we can watch it together."

Chuckling softly at how easily Henry's enthusiasm made her forget her pain, Emily responded, "Alright, calm down Champ. Let me get back into bed." After taking a few minutes to complete the task, Emily finally found herself lying in bed, with her flat screen TV turned to the Cartoon Network. Settling back down, the brunette could feel herself drifting off back into sleep. But before her dreams could claim her once more, she felt the bed shifting as Henry scooted closer and tenderly laid his head down on her shoulder. Since neither the movement, nor the pressure, caused any significant amounts of pain, Emily allowed Henry to stay like that. So with a contented sigh, the brunette fell into a peaceful slumber while Henry calmly watched Transformers. The presence of the boy brought a serenity that Emily hadn't known she was missing without JJ around. So with that feeling surrounding her, she welcomed the darkness as it enveloped her senses.

**-IF-**

JJ wasn't sure how long she and her parents had been sitting at the kitchen table. She was only aware that she had just come out of a foggy state of mind. It was therapeutic for her to hash out all the details of the case with her parents so that her emotions weren't bottled up inside. But at the same time, she was worried that she had brought unnecessary stress onto them. But as she took in their understanding and supportive expressions, she knew they were only concerned with helping her cope.

Taking a deep breath, JJ let it out in a rush as she said, "I'm sorry for burdening you two with all of this. I just don't really have anyone else to talk to."

"Oh Sweetheart, never apologize for needing us. That's our job as parents. You wouldn't want Henry to suffer when he could confide in you would you?" Lisa explained. When she received a shake of the head from JJ, she continued, "Not that I'm complaining about you talking to us, because I'm not, but what about that Garcia girl? Penelope is her name I believe. I thought the two of you were pretty good friends."

JJ laughed as she thought about Garcia. "The thing with Garcia is that her desire for Emily and me to be together kind of overshadows everything else. It seeps into every conversation, regardless of the topic," JJ explained as she picked at her fingernails. It was a nervous habit she had inherited from her mother.

Sensing that the atmosphere was now lighter and moving to happier topics, Richard questioned, "How _is_ that going? Any developments we should be aware of?" Richard wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he squeezed JJ's hand he still held in his own.

"I wish I could give you better news on that front Daddy, but that woman is more stubborn than even me. She has her heart more guarded than anyone I've ever met. It's going to take a little bit more time. But I'm hoping that by staying here for the next few weeks, I'll be able to chip at her defenses and break through. Henry is going to help, even if he doesn't realize it. You know my son is her Achilles' heel," JJ explained as her gazed shifted between her mother and father.

"Well I could have told you that eons ago," Lisa stated as she sat back in her chair. If her daughter was just now figuring that out, then she was sure it would be years before she and Emily finally got together.

"Geez Mom, cut a girl some slack! I just found out she was gay a few days ago," JJ defended as she also sat back in her seat. It was nice that her parents were so supportive of her, and she was grateful that they already approved of Emily, but it was also nerve wracking to think she had an audience as she tried to woo Emily. She didn't even want to think about how the brunette would react if she knew how many people were pushing for them to get together. Emily was such a private person that the information would most certainly scare her away from any relationship with the blonde in fear of the same audience watching if the relationship failed.

Not quite knowing how to explain to her parents Emily's fear of relationships, JJ decided to just let it slide for now. Instead, she steered the conversation toward what had been going on with Henry for the last few days that she had missed. Since she had vented all her bottled up emotions, she wanted to enjoy her parents company a little before they left. She hadn't been able to spend much time with them lately, so while Henry was occupied, she wanted to visit. So they continued to sit at the kitchen table and discuss the last few days.

**-IF-**

Henry laid with his head resting on his crossed arms and staring at Emily's face, silently taking in the injuries the woman had sustained. He knew that he had to be quiet and not bother Emily. But Emily had been asleep the entire time during their favorite show, Transformers, and even during the two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that had come on after it. Now he was beginning to worry that the brunette would never wake up. So looking carefully at the closed bedroom door, as though he could tell what was happening on the other side, Henry strained to hear if his mother was still talking to his grandparents.

Feeling that the coast was clear, Henry cautiously crawled toward Emily's side of the bed again. He had been there earlier, but had moved to the other side when he needed to change the channel. With Emily being on the far side, she didn't feel the movements of the young boy. Not seeing any reaction from the brunette, Henry continued to crawl closer. Once he was within arms distance, Henry sat cross legged and rested his elbows on his knees with his hands holding up his blonde head of hair. Henry, like most four year olds, grew impatient within a few minutes and gave a huff of annoyance. He was ready for Aunt Emmy to wake up so they could talk and make pancakes and watch cartoons and play hide-and-seek.

Looking once more towards the door and still hearing nothing, Henry reached out and gently shook Emily's arm once. With the profiler still not budging, Henry shook a little harder and said, "Come on Aunt Emmy! Wake Up!"

In the boy's excitement that Emily would soon be awake, he unconsciously began bouncing eagerly on the plush bed. The movement, growing stronger with each second, had the desired effect. With a sudden gasp, Emily's eyes flew open as she let out a strangled cry that was choked off at the sudden realization that she now awake and in excruciating pain.

Henry quickly let go of Emily's arm as he struggled to move backwards away from the brunette. He knew he was supposed to be gentle with her, he had been very careful so far, but he had gotten excited and forgotten for a moment. But that moment was all it took. He knew he had hurt his Aunt Emmy and he started crying in fear that she would be mad at him.

Having heard the startled cry of pain from Emily's room, JJ thought the worse as she sprinted to the door followed closely by her parents. When the duo arrived, they saw Henry sitting on the far side of the bed from Emily with a look of guilt plastered on his face as he hugged his knees to his chest and rocked back and forth. Emily was staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in a world of pain. After a moment's hesitation, JJ rushed forward towards Emily's side while her parents took Henry from the room.

Reaching forward, JJ took Emily's hand in her own as she forced the brunette to look at her. Once she had the brown eyes locked on her own, JJ began to speak, "It's alright Em, just breathe through the pain. It'll go away in just a little while. Just focus on me, okay?"

Emily could barely hear JJ. The pain blurred her hearing and her eyesight. But as she focused on the light touches JJ was placing on her head and the firm grip the blonde had on her hand, Emily found herself coming out of the worst part of the pain. With each labored breath, she was able to focus a little more and feel the pain ebb away. Finally, she found that she wasn't in so much pain anymore, but she was still holding firmly onto JJ's steady hand and gazing deeply into her blue eyes. Not wanting to break the deep emotional connection she could tell they had at the moment, Emily continued to hold JJ's gaze without saying a word.

JJ could tell Emily's pain was now gone. The brunette's tight grip on her hand had lessened and her glazed expression was much more clear and certain in its connection. So after a few intense minutes of staring into each other's eyes in silence, JJ leaned her forehead gently against Emily's and whispered, "Are you alright now, Em?"

Closing her eyes at the flood of sensations and emotions she began to feel, Emily took a moment to respond, "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks Jen."

Staying in that position for a few moments more, JJ finally lifted her head. But as she looked down into Emily's eyes, she saw the unmistakable flash of disappointment race through her brown eyes. So leaning down, JJ placed a gentle kiss to Emily's bruised and busted lips. Lingering in the connection for several long moments, JJ knew both she and Emily needed the touch. They both needed the reminder that there was something between them and that they were going to figure out exactly what that was.

So after a few more moments, JJ pulled back and ran a soft hand over Emily's hair and whispered, "I'm going to go get your pain meds. Now before you try to argue, I know you hate them, but right now we both know you need them." Seeing Emily silently agree, JJ left and returned within a minute with a bottle of water and an assortment of pills.

Helping Emily sit up just enough to swallow the pills, JJ helped the brunette settle back into bed. Pulling the sheets up to just under Emily's chin, JJ leaned down and pressed another series of soft, short kisses to the profiler's lips. This time, Emily responded, despite the slight pain it caused. And just as she allowed a husky moan to slip through, JJ pulled back, much to both of their disappointments. She didn't voice her concern, but she knew that JJ was aware of her frustration because she said, "Em, I don't want to hurt you. Please, just allow yourself time to heal and then I promise, I'll make up for it."

Smiling just the slightest smile, Emily agreed, "I'm going to hold you to that."

"Please do," was JJ's only response as she watched the drugs take effect and Emily slip into a deep sleep. With a final kiss to unresponsive lips, JJ rose from the bed and steeled herself for what she had to say to Henry. She knew he hadn't meant to hurt Emily, but she had also told him to wait for her. As much as she hated it, she was going to have to reprimand her son. With one last deep breath and longing gaze at Emily, JJ opened and shut the bedroom door and made her way to find her son.

**-IF-**

**A/N: I know it's kind of a filler, but it shows Emily starting to accept that she can't have those damn walls up! Next chapter will be pretty good, I think. I think I'm going to do a mini time jump…like a few weeks…what are you feelings on that? Let me know! I aim to please : ) **

**A/N: As always, read and review! And let me know about the time jump. Thanks everyone! **


	23. Pressure

**A/N: I'm not going to make excuses. There are none. Graduate school is kicking my ass and I'm sorry this story is suffering. I hope a few of you are still with me though!**

**-IF-**

"So what's going on with my handsome little man?" Garcia asked as she helped JJ clean the kitchen. She and Morgan had brought supper from a nearby Chinese restaurant before they stopped by to drop off a few things JJ had asked them to pick up. Apparently everything in Emily's kitchen was either expired or simply nonexistent. With Emily in the state she was in, JJ refused to leave the condo for any unnecessary reason. Not that Garcia was complaining. She had yet to visit with the brunette since everything had happened.

JJ looked into the living room to see Henry sitting at the end of the couch with his head resting dejectedly in his small hand. His blue eyes were still red and slightly swollen from all the crying he had done earlier. "I had to punish him today. He went into Emily's room after I specifically told him not to and in the process, he hurt her. I think he actually mostly just feels really guilty. I only took his video games away for a week and he doesn't even play them that much," the blonde replied as she dried the last dish and set it in the cabinet. "I'm just really glad you and Morgan could come. It helps him to have a man around sometimes. And plus he loves you so much. By the way, don't think I didn't see you slip him a pack of Rolos when you thought I wasn't looking."

"A growing boy needs his sweets!" the other blonde defended after throwing her hands in the air to feign innocence.

"Yeah, he needs sweets about as much as he needs all the toys I know Derek buys him. I notice when a new one pops up every now and then just like I see the new Spiderman action figure wrapped in his hand right now. You two spoil him too much."

"It's what a good Aunt and Uncle should do. It's our job," Garcia stated as she too looked in the living room at the two boys watching some action movie. Morgan had his arm thrown protectively across the back of the sofa while Henry still sat at the far end.

It was obvious the little boy was distraught, and it wasn't just because he had gotten in trouble. JJ had refused to allow him into Emily's room after the incident that morning. Her parents had left shortly afterward and it had just been mother and son to tend to Emily. JJ was planning on letting Henry in to see the profiler that night before he went to bed though, so he wouldn't need to wait much longer. She knew the wait was killing him, but the mother needed to make a point to her son.

Taking a final glance towards the two boys, JJ turned and walked to the table, knowing Garcia would follow her. With a tired sigh, JJ all but fell into the cushioned chair and rested her head on top of two folded arms. The blonde tech looked on worriedly, knowing there wasn't much she was able to do. Instead, she just pulled her own chair close to JJ's side and rubbed a reassuring hand up and down the media liaison's back.

After several minutes of easy silence, JJ sat up and looked to her best friend. "Thanks Pen, you always just seem to know what I need."

"Comes with the best friend territory I suppose. How are you holding up?" the tech asked as she studied JJ carefully. She might not be a world class profiler like all her friends, but she could read JJ like a true best friend. She would know if the blonde was lying.

"I'm doing alright I guess. It's just rough seeing Emily so helpless, you know? She's normally so strong and confident. Now she can barely walk to the restroom on her own without almost crying in pain," JJ replied rubbing a hand down her face slowly. She wasn't frustrated with taking care of Emily, she was just tired of seeing a normally vibrant woman so beaten.

"I know buttercup. And I also know that if you hadn't beaten Derek and me to the punch with your kill shot, we would have each liked to get our hands on the bastard that did this. But at least we still have the head honcho ass hole that we all want to rip into shreds. I know there is a long line for him that starts with me. No one messes with your girl and gets away with it," Garcia finished with a wink and smirk.

Somehow, hearing Garcia talk like that about the unsubs who did all this to Emily made JJ smile. And of course her friend would throw in that last comment to let JJ know she hadn't forgotten about that aspect of the two women's relationship. And even though she knew Garcia was dying to know more about that, JJ wasn't ready to talk about it. She didn't even know what was really going on herself. Instead, she looked to change the topic. "Oddly enough, hearing that makes me feel better. I feel bad though because the two of you came all the way out here and you haven't really gotten to see Emily. Those pain meds she is on just knock her out cold. I know she hates taking them, but I would rather her be loopy and passed out than to have to see her in any pain. She should be waking up soon though if you two want to hang around."

"You know we'll wait. And you should know that we don't mind. We came by to visit you just as much as we came to visit Emily. I know everyone is worried about her, but I know that all this is taking a toll on you too. You know you can ask me for anything right?" Garcia prodded as she gently ran a hand down JJ's silky blonde locks.

"Yeah, I know. And that means the world to me. But for the moment, just the two of you being here and spending time with Henry is a huge help." The two women sat in silence for a moment and listened as a booming laugh drifted through the air to settle around them. Whatever Morgan and Henry were watching now was really funny to the large profiler. Realizing she had the help she needed at the moment, JJ sat up a little straighter and said, "Actually, I need to go check on Emily. Would you mind sitting with Henry for a while and keeping him distracted? I'm going to see if she's awake and if she wants to get out of bed for a bit. It'll probably do her some good."

Catching the subtle hint that JJ wanted to be alone with Emily for a while without having to worry about Henry, Garcia's eyes twinkled a bit mischievously as she rose from her seat at the same time as JJ. From the looks of it, she and Morgan wouldn't have much to do with their "Operation Jem." Which was really a disappointment because she had some foolproof-ish plans already in place to push the two agents together. Who was she kidding? Of course she was still going to use them. JJ might have been very tight-lipped on her progress with Emily in the relationship aspect of things, but the tech guru was sure there was progress. She would get some form of confirmation before the night was up. "Sure thing sweet cheeks. Besides, whatever my two handsome men are watching seems to be entertaining. You go do your thing with Miss Thing," Garcia finished with a wink and a grin thrown over her shoulder as she walked into the living room.

JJ was grateful that Garcia had kept walking instead of turning back around and talking because she could feel the blush flaming across her cool cheeks. Of course Garcia would easily pick up on her ulterior motives. But when she watched the tech guru slide down into the seat next to Henry, she smiled to herself. She was forever grateful to have such good friends, friends that loved her son and that her son loved back.

Right before she headed into Emily's master bedroom, Henry turned his little head around to face his mother. In those deep blue eyes, JJ could still see the guilt and hurt swimming with unshed tears. But before she could motion towards the boy or do anything, he turned right back around and began watching whatever movie Morgan and picked. With a heavy heart, JJ took a steadying breath and silently slipped into the darkness of Emily's room.

**-IF-**

Emily slowly opened her eyes to find nothing but blackness. Though the lighting wasn't changing from opening or closing her eyes, she could feel her eye lids were heavy and lethargic. After lying there a few moments, the brunette tried to focus her foggy brain, but found she could do little else than register sounds and recognize the pain she sustained from every breath she took. That's when she made the connection that her pain medication had worn off. As much as she hated the side effects of the drugs, she couldn't deny they helped her sleep through pain she knew would be too strong to ignore otherwise.

As the brunette continued to lie in bed, she reflected on the last few days. It felt like weeks ago when JJ had made the call about the Brad Connors case, and not a few days as it actually was. And in the time since her kidnapping, rescue, and ongoing recovery, Emily hadn't been alone very much to be able to process things in her mind. Even with a groggy brain, she knew it was important for her to compartmentalize her feelings. Not just her feelings for JJ, but her feelings about the kidnapping, the beating, her mother, and JJ killing someone for her.

But listening to the rumblings of the TV in the distant room, an occasional bark of deep laughter, soft feminine voices talking far off, Emily knew she wasn't in her condo with just JJ and Henry anymore. With the last tendrils of medication muddling her mind, Emily figured it was most likely Morgan and Garcia coming to visit and she understood they were here to see her. So much for having time to think, especially with Morgan around. If he got a chance to be alone with her, he would not hesitate to comment on JJ being the "doctor to her patient" or some equally perverse joke along those lines.

Emily knew she needed to find a way to let JJ know she was awake, but she didn't know how. So instead, she continued to lay there, thoughtless, simply listening to her friends who she knew were all worried for her. After what the profiler guessed to only be a few moments, she heard her bedroom door open and close quickly. Her eyes were now adjusted to the dark, so she saw as a slight gleam of golden hair and a small silhouette made its way to her bed side.

Once the blonde turned on the bedside lamp, Emily squinted until her eyes adjusted. But once she was able to, she looked up into JJ's clear blue orbs and watched as a smile spread across her face. Emily could tell JJ didn't think she would be awake. And with that one small look into JJ's eyes, now that her head was mostly clear, Emily knew she didn't need to compartmentalize anything. The kidnapping was no longer important, JJ having to kill the unsub, the beating. It all faded out of Emily's mind as she locked eyes with the blonde. The profiler wasn't even going to try and dissect the budding relationship with JJ anymore. What happened, happened. While that mentality normally terrified her because she was very much a planner and very anti-spontaneity, she found that she was actually looking forward to what came next between the two of them.

"How are you feeling, Em?" JJ asked as she gently sat on the edge of the bed and gazed down at the profiler.

It amazed Emily how just one simple word, one short sentence, from JJ could make her feel infinitely better within seconds. After a moment to soak in all the warmth and comfort that came from being in JJ's presence, Emily replied in a voice rough from nonuse, "Better, actually. I can tell the drugs have worn off though. And I'm dying for a shower."

The blonde ran a hand through Emily's brown hair as she thought about her response. Emily hadn't had a true shower since before she was kidnapped. The sponge bath that she got at the hospital hardly counted. Finally, deciding that Emily was right, she tried to compromise, "Don't you think a bath would be easier? I could set it up for you and you could get in and out at your own pace."

"I've already thought of that. There is no way I can get into and out of the tub. The walls are too high. But I can stand still in the shower. This pretty much isn't up for discussion. I'm going to take a shower whether you like it or not," Emily stated with her eyes aglow.

JJ hadn't seen Emily so stubborn and determined since before the kidnapping, and for the return of those traits, the blonde was grateful. It meant that Emily was feeling better, more like herself. "I see. Well in that case, I should at least make this as easy as possible for you. Just wait here and I'll go gather some fresh clothes for you and make sure everything is set up. Deal?"

Emily smiled and nodded as she watched JJ make her way into the bathroom. While the media liaison was setting things up in the bathroom, Emily managed to make her way into a sitting position with her legs dangling over the edge of her bed. The maneuver almost took what little strength she had left making her regret the decision to shower already. But she would feel better just knowing she was clean. She wanted to truly scrub herself, scrub away the dirty hands of the bastard who had beaten her.

Before the brunette had much time to contemplate changing her mind, JJ entered the room again. "Alright Emily, you're all set. Do you need any help getting up or anything?" JJ fought hard to keep the blush from coloring her pale cheeks. She really wanted to ask if Emily needed help undressing, but at the same time, she knew that neither one of them was quite ready for that.

"I think I can handle it, thanks though," Emily responded as she hoisted herself into a standing position. She did her best to keep a straight face during the move, but she knew that JJ could tell just that slight exertion had caused her pain. She could tell by the way JJ took a sudden step forward, with her hands outstretched and concern etched onto her delicate features. "I'm fine JJ. I promise. The pain meds have just worn off a bit. A shower is going to do me good." Her false words seemed to have the desired effect on JJ as the blonde woman lowered her hands. But she stayed just an arm's length distance from Emily the entire trek to the bathroom with the concern still adorning her face.

Once the duo reached the inside of the bathroom, Emily turned to face a still worried blonde and said, "I think I got it from here JJ."

Snapping out of her single-minded daze, JJ looked around and realized they were standing in the bathroom, steam already gathering from the water she had turned on for Emily. "Right. Okay well, I'm going to leave the door cracked, just yell out if you need anything," she rambled as she slowly backed out of the warm bathroom.

Before JJ made it to the door, Emily tried to reason, "You don't have to leave the door cracked JJ. You don't even have to sit in there alone. I'll be fine by myse-"

But the profiler never got to finish that sentence because she was cut off with "I'm cracking the door and I'm waiting in your bedroom. End of argument."

Emily only nodded as she easily recognized JJ's 'mother tone' that was often used with Henry. When the brunette watched the blonde head of hair disappear behind the wooden door and the door left open just a crack, she turned to the mirror to look at herself. She just couldn't get used to the bruises marring the once smooth surface. It took her breath away every time. After a moment for reflection, Emily began removing her clothing. She was beyond grateful that she now had a button up shirt on for the ease of not having to raise her arms. Once she was completely undressed, she opened the frosted shower door and stepped inside.

Usually Emily welcomed the high water pressure her shower had because she loved the hot water to beat down on her normally weary body and try to work out some of the kinks she got from a long day. This time, however, Emily wished there was a way to put on a soft mode. She needed to invest in one of those high-tech shower heads, immediately. Now the strong water brought tears to her brown eyes as she tried to bite back a yelp of shocked pain. After a few moments to acclimate, Emily could tolerate the spray.

Now came the hard part, shampoo and body wash. What was the point of going through all this pain if she couldn't wash the dirt and grime from her body? She made it through shampooing her hair before the first sob wracked her body. This was a pain she had never experienced before. It wasn't just a sharp pain and then it faded away. This was a pain that spiked and then throbbed painfully with each heartbeat and doubled with each breath. There was no way she could finish showering with this pain. Just to hold herself upright and keep from collapsing, Emily had to brace herself with both hands on the wall. But the action only caused more pain to swell in her chest.

Just as she was about to collapse on the shower floor, Emily felt two strong arms reach around her from behind and hold her up and a soft whispered, "I've got you," murmured in her ear. Emily would know that voice anywhere. And looking down at the arms wrapped securely around her stomach, she knew JJ stood behind her. She also knew she should feel some sort of terrible emotion. She should feel ashamed, embarrassed, violated. But instead, all she felt was relief and happiness and comfort. JJ had yet again come to her rescue.

The brunette watched as though she was transfixed as JJ reached out and grabbed Emily's shower gel and washcloth and worked it into lather. Finally, JJ pulled back, kept a sturdy arm around Emily's stomach, and began to run the cloth up and down the brunette's back. And the process repeated with Emily's arms and legs. Finally, the only part JJ hadn't washed, was Emily's front. The blonde woman hesitated but the profiler understood the silent question. Instead of ruining the moment with words, Emily simply turned slowly in JJ's arms until they were face to face.

JJ kept her eyes trained on Emily's deep brown ones. The chocolate orbs were glowing, both with pain and pleasure. Finally, with the soapy wash cloth in hand, JJ looked down and finished her job. Emily stepped back into the painful water spray to rinse the soap from her body. And when she finished, she stepped back toward JJ and the two locked eyes once more. Neither touched for the moment, content to just gaze into each other's eyes, the connection much more intense that any touch either could provide the other.

The eye contact, though powerful and filled with meaning, didn't last long. Instead, Emily watched as the blonde slowly allowed her eyes to wander. First JJ took in Emily's face, battered and bruised and swollen. But her eyes didn't linger there for long. These were wounds JJ was familiar with and had already memorized. She kept them locked away in her memory so that the day she met Arseny Lysowsky, the Russian mob leader responsible for Emily's injuries, she could call them forth and kill him the way he wanted to kill Emily. Now her eyes started going further down Emily's body. The blue eyes, ever watchful, gazed lower and lower until they began tracing the outlines of bruises she hadn't seen before now. The water cascaded down Emily's slim body in ripples and waves, glistening the skin and making the bruises seem more vivid, more angry than they normally would be.

As though looking didn't make it real, JJ reached a tentative hand out and began lightly tracing the outlines of the large bruises staining the rest of the profiler's torso. In a trance, JJ knelt on the wet shower floor and followed her fingers as they ghosted over battered skin. Emily watched on silently as JJ worked on tracing each bruise she had developed. The blonde had worked her way around and was now back in front of Emily, just staring at the odd purple and black coloring spreading out there. There was never pain from the touch, just a breath of pressure. The brunette watched on wordlessly, seeing the look of sadness, fear and anger alternate residence on JJ's porcelain face.

Finally, after what felt like hours, JJ seemed to be done tracing the bruising with her fingers. But what happened next surprised Emily. JJ placed her lips softly, gently, deftly, and lovingly on the edge of a bruise that ended just beside the brunette's bellybutton. Emily wanted to throw her head back and moan at the sensations coursing through her body, a body now alive with feeling. But the profiler couldn't take her eyes off of JJ. The blonde, still kneeling in front Emily, was slowly making her way up the profiler's stomach. The brunette couldn't stop watching as the blonde kissed her way up the middle of Emily's toned stomach, up between her breasts. When JJ finally made it up, she kissed sweetly up Emily's neck, across her jaw line, and place a final lingering kiss to the edge of the brunette's lips.

Each kiss, each touch, each caress, hadn't been applied with more pressure than a breath of air. But the combined effect of the feather light touches, and watching JJ with her eyes closed, lost in the moment, had a serious effect on Emily. She could feel the wetness pooling between her legs, but she knew there was no way she could do anything about it. She could barely breath without pain, she couldn't push JJ against the shower wall and have her way with the blonde like she was envisioning doing. Instead, she had to settle for roughly grabbing JJ's head and pulling it towards her own as their mouths crashed together in a collision of heat and power. Both women could feel the tension surrounding them. And with the now cold water crashing down around them, making the kiss slippery and heated, the two knew there was no going back now.

Emily was the first to pull back. Not because she wanted too, but because her lungs were screaming in protest and her ribs were all but throbbing like a thousand stabbing knifes. But the profiler didn't remove her hands from JJ's tangled blonde locks. Nor did she break the eye contact the two now shared. Each woman, breath panting and cheeks flushed, conveyed their need in that visual contact. And they maintained the eye contact for several minutes, letting the ice cold water snap them back into reality.

Finally, Emily followed as JJ led her by the hand to stand in the large bathroom. The brunette knew she was going to need food and more meds to sleep tonight thus ending their passionate time together, but she couldn't help thinking, with a smirk on her face, about how good of an idea a shower had been.

**-IF-**

**A/N: So maybe y'all should review to let me know you're still with me? I know it's a lot to ask when I have been MIA, but I'm hopefully back in the swing of things. It would be nice to know who is still with me…**


	24. They Know

**A/N: So yeah, there still is no excuse for the delay. Graduate school sucks. That's all I have to say. But the support I've gotten from y'all is AMAZING!**

**-IF-**

The initial moments after exiting the shower were filled with an awkward tension. JJ fearing she took advantage of the brunette and Emily terrified the whole encounter would ruin the tentative beginning of a relationship for the two of them. When JJ turned around, one towel already wrapped around her and another in her hand for Emily, the two made eye contact. In that gaze, they seemingly could read each other's fears. So taking charge, and doing the only thing she could think of, JJ stepped forward into Emily's space. Dropping both towels to the ground and keeping their eyes locked in the intense gaze, the blonde pressed her dry body against Emily's still wet one and gasped softly at the contrast. Placing both hands on either side of Emily's head, JJ gently drew the brunette towards her until they met in a soft, slow, gentle kiss. A kiss different from the one they shared in the shower. This one had a different meaning. This kiss was to convey that everything that had happened until this point was not a mistake. Emily conveyed she didn't feel taken advantage off and JJ reassured that she wasn't going to run away.

Ending with a short series of quick kisses, JJ leaned her forehead gently against Emily's. The two women stood, eyes closed, smiling and sharing breaths as they softly panted from the short encounter. Hating to end the delicate moment, JJ placed a final kiss on Emily's now lustfully swollen lips and pulled away. After reaching down and grabbing both towels, JJ wrapped herself up again and began to help Emily dry off. Not a word was needed between the two, each comfortable with the soft silence enveloping them in the steamy bathroom.

When JJ began to help Emily get into her clothes, the brunette gasped in shocked pain as she raised her arms to put on one of her many button up shirts. JJ cringed in sympathy as she tried to do what she could to quicken the process. When they finally got Emily clothed, JJ lead the profiler back to the bed to also help her climb in. "Here, go ahead and take these. You obviously need them," JJ said as she handed Emily her pain meds and a glass of water. Emily looked helplessly up at JJ with big brown eyes, pleading for some other way. JJ quickly responded, "Oh don't look at me with those puppy-dog eyes. I have a four year old son so I'm immune to that look. Besides, think of it this way. You take these now, by the time you get done saying goodnight to Henry and visiting for a minute with Morgan and Garcia, you'll be ready to pass out. And you'll have an excuse to keep your visit with the two of them short."

JJ knew she had won when Emily reached out and grabbed the pills. Swallowing them down and finishing off the water, Emily handed the glass back to JJ. The blonde set the empty glass on the bedside table and turned back to the profiler. Though she wanted to sit down and talk to Emily, JJ knew she needed to go get Henry before the brunette succumbed to the pain meds' sleeping side effects. So instead of sitting down, she leaned over and surprised Emily by capturing her lips in a quick kiss. It was as though now that they had started, JJ couldn't stop herself from kissing the profiler every chance she got.

But Emily didn't mind. Because while she was caught by surprise every time the blonde stole a kiss, the surprise was quickly replaced by ecstasy as a silent moan tried to tear its way up her throat. Logically, she knew they were moving too fast. But the brunette wasn't thinking logically right now. Her muddled brain was constantly groggy with pain meds. Not to mention she had just survived a brutal kidnapping that helped open her eyes to what she almost lost without ever having it in the first place. To hell with logic. Emily Prentiss was going to enjoy every kiss JJ decided to plant on her. And when she was well again, she planned to steal more than a few kisses of her own.

**-IF-**

Garcia watched, eyes aglow with understanding, as JJ exited the master bedroom after over an hour of being missing. Needing confirmation of her suspicions, the tech punched Morgan in the shoulder and directed with her head for the profiler to bear witness and confirm her suspicions. Morgan, taking notice of JJ's dripping wet hair, couldn't contain the grin from spreading across his handsome face. From the looks of things, Emily was doing just fine without his interference and Garcia's 'Operation Jem' plan.

As JJ slipped into the kitchen, oblivious to the looks shared between her two friends, Garcia whispered excitedly towards Morgan, "I think we both know what just happened in there." Casting a glance at Henry playing intently with his toys, Garcia knew she couldn't go into too much detail. Deciding to keep the conversation for a later time without the tiny ears of a small child, the tech simply stated, "You interrogate Prentiss. I'll pester JJ until she tells me why she walked out of Emily's room with dripping wet hair, a flushed face, and a content smile." They both knew that chances were, Garcia would be the only one to walk away with any information.

Just as Garcia finished breathing out her whispered statement, JJ walked into the living room, completely oblivious to the knowing looks and poorly concealed smirks passed between her two friends. With a goofy smile and still flushed cheeks, JJ called out to Henry, "Hey little man, you ready to say goodnight to Emily?"

Understanding flew across Henry's face as he realized his mother was _finally_ letting him back in to see his Aunt Emmy. "Yes ma'am!" he cheered as he jumped up from the floor where he had been playing with the new toy Uncle Derek had brought for him. Knowing better than to do anything wrong, lest he be punished more, Henry calmly walked to JJ's side, reached up, and grabbed her free hand before quickly trying to lead them to Emily's bedroom door.

Before JJ let herself be dragged back into Emily's room, she turned and addressed Morgan and Garcia who were still sitting on the sofa, "We'll be right out guys, then you two can go in and see Emily. I'm just going to let Henry say goodnight and then take him to bed." Receiving two brisk nods in return, JJ faced around again and allowed Henry to lead the way to Emily's bedside.

Garcia and Morgan watched as the mother and son disappeared behind the closed door. The two sat in silence for a moment, ensuring the closed door stayed shut before they began talking in excited whispers. Not being able to contain herself a moment longer, Garcia turned to Morgan, scooted a little closer, and said, "So like I was saying, something went down in that room just now. Or should I say, in the shower?" Morgan held eye contact with the tech for a moment before facing forward and heaving a sigh. Though he hoped that the two women had made some kind of progress, he wasn't quite as optimistic as the blonde next to him. Seeing the disbelieving look upon the handsome profiler's face, Garcia asked, "Why the long face my chocolate god? You don't agree? Remember, I _am_ all knowing."

Allowing a quick smile to grace his face, Morgan responded. "It's not that I don't agree, it's just, well, you haven't seen Prentiss yet. She's really beat up. She can barely breathe without whimpering. Though I hope and wish something happened, I just don't see how it could have is all," Morgan finished as he reached out to grab Garcia's hand. He knew the blonde tech was hoping for more than was probably possible at the moment. "I'm sorry baby girl."

Sighing in resignation, Garcia felt her shoulders fall a bit with that information. But ever the optimist, she pressed on, "What you're saying is logical. However, JJ has never looked so love-struck-puppy-dog-esque before. At least not that I've ever noticed. I know that _something_ happened in that shower, and I'm going to find out one way or another."

**-IF-**

Before leaving the room earlier, JJ had left the lamp on beside Emily's bed. So it was easy for her and Henry to find their way to Emily's beside. And it was also easy to see Emily's eye already fluttering closed, taking an occasional extra-long blink. Knowing that the pain meds she had given the profiler before she left were obviously starting to kick in, JJ wanted to hurry and have everyone say goodnight so the exhausted woman could get some much needed rest. When the two finally made it to Emily's bedside, JJ lifted Henry up so he was perched on the edge.

Jarred from her state of wakeful dreaming, Emily turned her head and opened her heavy eyelids to see who was with her. Meeting Henry's tentative gaze, the brunette allowed a smile to spread across her face as she reached forward to grasp the boy's small hand. Emily noticed with gratitude that JJ had made sure to place Henry close enough so that the movement of reaching for him didn't inflame her ribs. Licking her dry, cracked lips, Emily said softly, "Hey Champ. Did you come to tuck me in?"

Hearing Emily's soft voice speaking to him as if he had done nothing wrong seemed to have an effect on Henry. The little boy tried in vain to prevent the silent tears falling from his clear blue eyes. Finally, voice shaking with pent up sorrow, Henry responded, "I'm so sowwy Aunt Emmy. I huwt you and I didn't mean to. Mommy told me to wait for her to see you but I didn't. I made you cwy and it made me cwy and it made Mommy mad. I'm so sowwy Aunt Emmy. I wove you so much. Wif my whole heart."

Seeing little Henry, eyes downcast and sobs currently shaking his tiny frame, made Emily tear up at the sight. But she couldn't let Henry see her cry, at least not again. So after a moment to compose herself, Emily squeezed Henry's small hand and said a little louder than before, "Henry, look at me." Waiting until the boy's blue eyes latched reluctantly onto her hers, Emily continued, "I don't want you to be sad anymore buddy. You made a mistake. It happens. I can tell that you're sorry. And look, I'm okay now. I'm not mad, your Mommy isn't mad, everything is okay. Got it Champ?"

Sniffling and using his sleeve to wipe his nose, Henry nodded his head and responded, "Yes ma'am."

"Good. Now give me a proper 'tucking in' so I can sleep and not get any bad dreams," Emily said in a playful voice in an attempt to get Henry to perk up. The attempt worked because a huge smile stretched across Henry's face as he carefully crawled forward. The little blonde boy bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Emily's bruised forehead. He then moved down to rub his nose gently against hers in their "Eskimo Kiss." After completing the ritual, and with a final kiss to Emily's forehead, Henry whispered, "Goodnight and sweet dweams Aunt Emmy."

Feeling a sense of comfort that can only be derived from a usual routine, Emily sighed as she whispered back, "Goodnight Henry. I love you so much."

"I love you too Aunt Emmy," Henry stated as his mother picked him and set him back on the floor.

"Go start getting ready for bed. I'll be right there to tuck you in buddy," JJ said as she watched Henry walk towards the door. Waiting until her son was out of the room, JJ leaned over and planted her own kiss on Emily, this one on the profiler's lips. Lingering in the connection for a moment, JJ moaned softly in regret as she pulled away. "I'm really starting to enjoy doing that. This could prove dangerous you know," JJ joked as she sat on the edge of the bed and began running her fingers through Emily's still wet brunette locks.

"What I know is you're taking advantage of a helpless, bedridden, woman," Emily retorted, gaining some energy from the playful banter between the two. She could feel the tendrils of the pain medications sweeping through her system. She could feel the pain in her ribs slowly dwindling to a dull throb. And she could feel her mind beginning to shut down, sending her ever closer to the edge of unconsciousness. But as ever, she fought the effects just to get the little extra time she could with the blonde.

"If there is one thing you are Emily Prentiss, it certainly is _not_ helpless. And as much as I would love to not leave this room, I need to go get Henry to bed. And besides, you've got two visitors who have been dying to visit with you. Are you still up for seeing Morgan and Garcia for a little bit?" JJ asked, reluctantly ending the pair's moment alone.

"You might as well send them in now. I can feel the pain meds taking affect. I'll be sleeping before too long," Emily responded with a sigh. She didn't really want to have to deal with the pair right now, but she figured she might as well get it over with. But as she felt JJ pulling away, at the last minute, Emily reached out and grabbed JJ's hand. Searching the blue eyes before her, the profiler whispered, "You'll be back though, right?"

With a soft, reassuring smile, JJ responded, "Of course. This bed is much too big for you to be sleeping in alone. You might get cold. How else will you warm up but with my body heat?" JJ joked, taking the pressure off of Emily. She knew the brunette was uncomfortable for asking the question because the profiler feared it made her look weak. But in reality, JJ hadn't ever planned on staying anywhere else that night. With a flirty wink and a smirk, JJ sauntered out of the bedroom, knowing Emily was watching her the entire way.

**-IF-**

Garcia and Morgan both turned around, each with a guilty expression playing at their features, when they heard JJ call out to them, "Hey guys, I'm going to get Henry into bed. Emily is ready to see you two." If JJ noticed their guilty looks, she made no acknowledgment of it.

Watching as the blonde media liaison walked up the stairs to Henry's designated room, Garcia frantically mumbled out of the side of her mouth, "How long was she standing there? Do you think she heard us talking?"

When JJ was finally out of sight, Morgan turned to Garcia, "I don't think she heard us. But then, we won't really know until later will we? Come on, let's go see Prentiss."

So the pair rose from the sofa and made their way to the open bedroom door. Having already seen Emily once when he drove the girls back from Baltimore, Morgan let Garcia enter the room first. He didn't miss the shocked gasped the blonde tech exhaled as she saw the full extent of Emily's face. There was only so much that words could do to dampen the sting of the actual thing. And knowing how kind-hearted and gentle the tech guru was, Morgan knew Garcia's heart was breaking at seeing Emily in this state. Placing a steady hand on the small of her back, the profiler guided Garcia to the brunette's beside so they weren't hovering in the doorway anymore.

Emily sense when the duo reached her side. She slowly opened her eyelids, which were getting heavier and heavier by the second, and looked up into Garcia's tear filled eyes and said, "Please don't cry, Pen. I'm fine. I'm going to be fine. I promise."

Hearing Emily's raspy voice, straining to produce even the lowest of volume, almost broke Garcia. Here was Emily Prentiss, the strongest woman she knew, bedridden and barely able to speak. But the tech knew that crying wasn't going to help anything. So instead, she steeled herself and whispered a promise she fully intended to keep, "I swear to you Emily that I am going to do everything I can to bring down those bastards. They might be untouchable legally, but I will make sure, one way or another, legal or illegal, they pay for what they did to you."

Though Emily didn't respond to the oath, Garcia could see the appreciation flash in the brunette's eyes as tears gathered at the corners. The blonde tech knew the profiler wasn't good at expressing emotions, so to even see that kind of emotional response was enough for her.

Wanting to lighten the mood a bit, Morgan decided now was a good time to cut in, "So Princess, when are you going to be back at work? You know I ain't doing your paperwork for you, right? And I'm sure there's a lot for when you've been kidnapped and all," the tall profiler finished with a laugh.

Licking her lips while she tried to quell her playful anger, Prentiss responded, "How many times have I told you not to call me that, Morgan?"

"Too many to count, but with you all laid up in bed, I figured I would take my chances. Speaking of you being bedridden, how is it playing house with JJ?" Morgan teased.

Emily could see the gleam of mischievous troublemaking in his dark eyes. But with the pain meds making her groggy, she couldn't figure out where he was going with this conversation. So she decided to go the safest route, and that was denial. "We aren't playing house. She's just helping me out while I'm otherwise incapacitated."

Nodding his head as though in understanding, Emily saw the gleam of mischief flash brighter as Morgan's smirk grew larger and he responded, "Oh, okay. I think I understand. But tell me, does showering with you fall under the 'we're not playing house' category or the 'she's just helping me out' category. Because if you think about it, a shower for two could really fall under both."

Morgan watched in fascination as a blush crept into Emily's face; at least the parts that hadn't been bruised. The brunette's eyes flashed between himself and Garcia, panicked at the notion that Morgan had just revealed some big secret. Finally, Emily tried to respond, but could only stutter a few incomplete phrases, "Morgan! How could…why would…I can't believe…ugh!"

Morgan felt a little shame as he watched Emily panic a little more with her eyes darting between him and Garcia. He finally came to her rescue when he said, "Relax Prentiss. Garcia knows. Besides, you two kind of made it obvious when JJ was gone for over an hour and then turned up with sopping wet hair and different clothes that look suspiciously like they came from your closet."

Emily sat stewing for a moment. She hated that she couldn't think of some kind of response. The damn pain meds were affecting her ability to properly defend herself and she despised every minute of it. So instead of coming up with a clever retort as she normally would, the profiler just sat there and glared at her friend.

Looking between the furiously embarrassed profiler in bed and the handsomely smirking profiler beside her, Garcia decided it was obviously going to be up to her to put a stop to this, "Listen, Emily, you need your rest. We're just going to leave and let you sleep. We just wanted to stop in to check up on you. I'm sure we'll be back tomorrow or at least within the next few days." With that, Garcia squeezed Emily's hand and turned to leave. On her way, she smacked Morgan on the shoulder and whispered so only he would hear, "Apologize and let's go. I don't want JJ pissed at us. She's liable to keep us from seeing Emily."

Heaving a sigh of indignation, Morgan knew Garcia was right. So he leaned down, placed a brotherly kiss on Emily's forehead and whispered, "I'm just teasing you. You know that. Now rest up and I'll be back tomorrow to check on. I'll be back every day until you're back at the office. I promise."

With Morgan's whispered promised resounding in her cloudy mind, Emily watched the duo leave the room, closing the door quietly behind them. Finally alone in the cozy darkness of her room, Emily slipped effortlessly into the awaiting void provided by the pain meds.

**-IF-**

JJ sat perched on the edge of Henry's full size bed decked out with Transformer sheets. The room was bigger and filled with more toys that his room at home. Maybe it should have upset her, but it only made her care more for Emily, seeing how much the brunette provided for her own son. Turning her attention back to Henry, JJ ran her fingers gently through his freshly washed blonde hair.

Having remained relatively silent since they left Emily's room, JJ was almost surprised to hear Henry's tiny voice address her, "I'm weally sowwy Mommy. I pwomise to never bweak the wules again. Is Aunt Emmy gonna be okay?"

Looking into her son's crystal blue eyes, JJ couldn't conjure up the energy to even reprimand him, "Emily is going to be fine. She just has to be really careful while she heals. Remember when you broke your arm and you had to wear that cast for six weeks? Remember how you couldn't move your whole arm? It's kind of like that with Emily, except, she can't move her whole body very much. It's just going to take time for her to heal and be the same Aunt Emmy you're used to."

"Then she can pway wif me again?" Henry asked hopefully.

"Yeah buddy, then she can play with you again. Now, it's time for you to go to sleep. We're going to get up early and cook breakfast for Emily like she cooked for us. I'm going to need you to be my special helper, okay?"

"Okay!" Henry exclaimed as he snuggled down deeper into the center of the bed. At the end of their normal nightly routine, Henry looked up with a serious look on his face and said, "I'm glad you're not hurt too Mommy. I love you."

Feeling tears start to gather in her eyes, JJ responded in a voice softened by sadness, "I love you too buddy." Placing a final kiss to his shiny blonde hair, JJ rose from the bed, turned the night light on, and left the room.

Making her way downstairs, JJ had to wipe her eyes before she allowed herself to see Morgan and Garcia again. She didn't want the two to know she had been upset by Henry's simple statement. After she composed herself, JJ walked back into the living room, expecting to have to wait a while for Morgan and Garcia to be done in Emily's room. To her surprise, the pair was sitting on the sofa in much the same fashion as they had been when she left to go get Henry ready for bed. "That was quick," she exclaimed knowing she had startled them when the blonde tech gasped and raised a hand to her accelerating heart.

"God JJ! You can't just sneak up on us like that!" Garcia cried in mock anger when she rose from her seat and turned to face the media liaison.

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to be sneaky. You two were just so immersed in whatever conversation you were having that you didn't hear me. Did you even go in to see her?" JJ asked, glancing at the closed door and then looking back at the two standing in front of her.

Morgan, sensing that Garcia was already acting suspicious and scared JJ was going to catch on, decided to answer, "Yeah, we went in, but she was already about to fall asleep from the pain meds. We're just going to come back tomorrow and see her."

"Oh I'm sorry guys. She was just starting to hurt again so I went ahead and gave her some meds. Well, since you're here, do you want anything to eat? Drink? I hate you came all the way out here for nothing," JJ responded as she turned to lead the two into the kitchen.

"Oh it wasn't for nothing, believe me," Garcia mumbled under her breath.

Casting a glare towards the tech, Morgan turned back to JJ while he responded, "We didn't mind. But actually, we've got to get going. It's starting to get late and we have to be at work early tomorrow."

JJ watched, keeping the suspicious glare from her gaze, as Morgan and Garcia made their way to the door of the condo. After passing around hugs and farewells, JJ closed and locked the door behind the two agents.

Leaning against the cool door for a moment, the media liaison reflected on the suspicious behavior of the two friends. Shaking her head and deciding to leave the thought for tomorrow, JJ made her way to Emily's room. She couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face as she stripped down to her tank top and panties and crawled into bed beside an already sleeping Emily.

As the blonde began to drift off, she felt a warm hand grab hers and squeeze in acknowledgement. "They know," JJ heard whispered softly into the encompassing darkness.

Immediately understanding what Emily was talking about, everything clicked together in her mind. Morgan and Garcia were certainly up to something, but she was too tired to figure out what exactly. Squeezing Emily's hand in return, JJ responded with a simple "I know."

After a few moments, JJ thought Emily had fallen back asleep. But to her surprise, and soft whisper echoed in through the room. "I wish I could hold you," Emily stated in her raspy whisper.

"You will. Soon. For now, this will have to do," JJ replied as she leaned over and kissed Emily. Both women sighed in contentment when JJ pulled away. This time, when the blonde lay back down, she was quite a bit closer to the brunette. Emily fell back asleep with JJ's breath tickling her bare shoulder and her hand pressed firmly in between JJ's two smaller ones.

**-IF-**

**A/N: So Christmas break is in 2 weeks. I already have plans to write as much as possible during that time. I **_**hope**_** and **_**pray**_** that y'all are still with me. If so, I would **_**LOVE**_** to hear from y'all. Leave your thoughts, requests, feelings or just a quick hello in a review to let me know you're still with me. I would love that!**

**!SPOILER! As an "I'm sorry" gift, I'm going to let you in on a little spoiler for the next chapter. There is going to be a small time jump and I'm bringing the Ambassador back. Will it be good? Or will disaster ensue? Let me know what your guess is! Or if you have a request, I'm open to ideas : ) **

**Can't wait to hear from y'all!**


	25. Return

**A/N: 1) No excuses for this year long delay. However, I am finally graduated from grad school (yay!). And since there is no job on the horizon, I anticipate lots of free time to dedicate to finishing this…finally :D 2) So there is a time jump, just like I promised, in this chapter. As the chapter goes on, I hope to fill you in on everything that happened in the 5 weeks. So just please be patient with me. And if you're confused about anything, or if I just leave something out (which is highly probable), just let me know and I'll clear it up. **

**Anyway, HAPPY READING! **

**5 WEEKS LATER**

"Aunt Emmy?"

"Yeah Champ?"

"You're coming back tonight wight?"

Emily turned around in her seat for a brief moment to look at the blonde boy in the back of her Range Rover. Even though the two had spent almost every moment together for the past two weeks, she could still tell that Henry hadn't quite recovered from the scare of her abduction. And with her driving towards the Jareau's to drop him off at his grandparent's house, the brunette didn't have to be a profiler to see that Henry was having some separation anxiety. After a moment's hesitation, Emily decided to be honest with the little boy, "I don't know buddy. Your mom is back today so she'll probably be picking you up tonight."

"But I want you to pick me up," Henry grumbled.

Finally pulling into the driveway, Emily gave herself a moment to figure out how to respond as she climbed out of the car to go help Henry down. When she opened the back door, the blonde boy was standing, waiting for her to pick him up. It still amazed her that he could get out of the car seat on his own. "Don't you miss your Mommy though?" Emily asked as she set him down on the ground.

"Well, yeah. I miss her a whole bunch. Why can't you bof pick me up?" he asked innocently as he reached up and grabbed Emily's hand, reluctantly following her to the front door of his grandparent's house.

"How about this?" the woman responded as she crouched down to be eye level with the boy. And as she gazed into the blue eyes, still shockingly identical to his mother's, Emily knew that Henry was just scared she wouldn't come back. All she needed to do was calm his nerves without letting him know that she had figured out why he was frightened. "I'll talk to your mother about it. And if she doesn't have something planned for just the two of you, then maybe we can all go out to eat together."

Henry smiled broadly as he flung his arms tightly around Emily's neck and squeezed for a few seconds. "Okay! That sounds gweat! I weally did miss my mommy," the boy whispered. He just wanted to make sure Aunt Emmy was coming back. But now that he was sure about that, he focused his attention on his missing mother, whom he hadn't seen for two weeks.

"I know Champ. I miss her too," Emily whispered back. Instead of breaking the hug, she stood to her full height still holding the blonde boy and rang the doorbell, finally signaling their arrival.

Within moments, the door swung open to reveal a beaming Lisa Jareau, already dressed and ready for the day. "There's my grandson!" the woman exclaimed as she reached out to steal Henry from Emily's protective arms. Lisa heard a muffled noise coming from beside her head and she assumed Henry mumbled a response in kind to her enthusiastic greeting. "And hello to you too Emily dear. Please come in and have a coffee before you go to work," Lisa invited as she stepped back from the door to let the stiff woman into the house. She had easily seen the way Emily had switched from open and caring to guarded and closed off the moment it was no longer just her and Henry hugging on the doorstep. That was really her ulterior motive for asking the profiler in, she wanted to keeping chipping at that tough exterior.

"Actually, I should probably head out, though I thank you for the offer. I want to get to the office before the rest of the team gets in," Emily explained in a borderline awkward voice.

"I don't think you'll have a problem with that dear, being that they didn't get home until about one o'clock in the morning," the grandmother exclaimed as she adjusted the growing boy on her hip. She could still feel Henry burying his head into her neck, taking in the familiar smell of cookies and love that he associated with his grandparent's home.

"Nevertheless, it's always better to be safe than sorry," Emily smiled uncomfortably as she remained standing on the front porch. Though there was some truth to her wanting to get to the office before everyone else, she also just didn't want to be alone with Lisa and Richard Jareau. She wasn't quite ready for that yet so she felt the need to avoid this situation until she had JJ around for support. "I'll take a rain check though. Tell Richard I said 'Hello' and I'm sure I'll see you all later."

With that, Emily spun to return to her car and finally head into work for the first time in five weeks. But before she took more than three steps, she heard a yell from behind her, "Wait up Aunt Emmy!"

Turning to face the running boy, Emily opened her arms just in time to catch the charging blonde. "Have a good day at work Aunt Emmy. I wove you."

Closing her eyes and soaking in the moment, Emily cradled Henry's small head for just a second before replying, "Eu te amo também, meu filho."

Emily couldn't help but smile as she heard the adorable giggle erupt from Henry's mouth as he said, "In English Aunt Emmy!"

"Oh hush! You know exactly what I said in Portuguese! Now go back inside. And behave for your grandparents today okay?"

"Yes ma'am," Henry agreed as he placed a quick kiss to Emily's cheek and scurried back into the house. Emily watched the blonde boy disappear inside before waving one last time at Lisa and finally heading to her SUV.

When Emily finally pulled out of the Jareau's driveway, she felt a piece of her heart being left behind with Henry as she drove away. For the last two weeks, with JJ on a case with the rest of the team, Henry and Emily had spent every moment together. Initially, JJ tried to make him stay with her parents because she feared Emily wasn't healed enough to care for him or for him not to hurt her again. But when she tried to make him leave the profiler's condo, he threw the biggest temper tantrum she had ever seen out of him. But it seemed deeper than that at the same time. It wasn't just a temper tantrum, it was true sadness and fear that was behind the crying and kicking and screaming of her son. So after some serious consideration and a long discussion with Emily, the two women decided it would be okay for Henry to stay, but only with the understanding that if it became too much, the grandparents would be called in as reinforcements.

So now, even though the brunette was beyond excited to be heading into work after five long weeks, and finally seeing JJ after two long weeks, she was also saddened by the fact that she wouldn't be with the little boy as much as she had grown accustomed to. But knowing this day was inevitable, Emily simply tightened her grip around her steering wheel, clenched her jaw in determination, and continued to head towards the only other person who could make her feel better…Jennifer Jareau.

**-IF-**

The black Range Rover glided into its designated parking spot with practiced ease. Shutting off the engine, Emily took a moment to breathe and collect herself. Today was the first day she was able to return to work at the BAU. The doctor had finally cleared her for work, as long as she promised to stay on desk duty only. While her bruises were mostly gone and her cuts nearly healed, the profiler's ribs were still sore when she moved certain ways, which basically eliminated most of her job duties except paper pushing. But as this point, cabin fever was an issue and Emily could no longer sit in her condo, knowing that her team, her family, was out in the field and down an agent.

Emily checked her watch and noticed it was already 7:30am. She had taken a lot longer to collect herself than she thought. She wanted to try and beat everyone into the office today so as to avoid too much celebration or excitement for her return to work. So glancing into the mirror to assess that her concealer was still covering what was left of her bruises, Emily finally pushed open her door and began to head into the office.

The only other time the profiler could recall being this nervous on the elevator ride to the BAU was on her first day with the team. But the brunette could feel the same anxious energy coursing through her system in anticipation of finally being back at work. Lost in thoughts of her previous fateful trip from what felt like eons ago, Emily was startled at the sound of the bell signaling the arrival at the BAU floor. And when the profiler finally strolled confidently into the bullpen like she had so many times before, she sighed with reluctant acceptance as she took in the smiling faces of all of her co-workers and the cheesy decorations littering every inch of the room, a majority of it covering her desk.

After a breath of hesitation, the entire BAU team yelled, "WELCOME BACK, PRENTISS!" as they watched the woman take in all of the adornments. A 'Welcome Back' banner hovered above everyone, obviously hung using clear fishing wire as it looked like it was floating in midair. Streamers, confetti, and other obnoxious party décor littered her previously organized desk to the point that not a single spot of wood showed through. To top everything off, a large cake also sat on her desk, with script writing adorning the top and reading, 'Prentiss returns' in blue writing. But as annoying and embarrassing as all of the unnecessary attention was, Emily couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face because she had truly missed her team, her family. She would tolerate the celebration if it meant that she was finally home.

Morgan was the first person to move out of the group and toward the now embarrassed profiler. "Hey, Princess! So I know you didn't want a big 'to-do' about your return, but you know how Garcia can be. There's no stopping that woman!" the male profiler chuckled as he carefully slid his muscular arms around the small frame of his best friend. And with a whisper that not another soul would be able to hear, Morgan continued, "I've missed my best friend."

Holding the embrace a beat longer than they normally would have, Morgan stepped aside to let the rest of the team shower Emily with the attention they all knew she was going to hate. The next person to approach was none other than the party planner herself. "Hey ladybug, welcome back to your home away from home. I know you told me not to do anything, but when have I ever listened to you? Especially when a party is involved?!" The blonde tech laughed as she leaned in for a hug of her own.

Emily returned the hug, not as reluctant with human contact as she used to be, but replying, "I just don't know how you did this all without me knowing. You've basically lived with me and Henry for the past two weeks."

"It is unwise to question the powers I possess." Was the only response Emily got from Garcia. "And since I have had the pleasure of your and Henry's company for two weeks, as you've stated, I'll move aside and allow others to greet you. I'm going to dig into this cake. I hope you like red velvet!" And just like that, the blonde techie disappeared.

Looking back toward the group Emily chanced a quick glance to see if she could find the one person she was most eager to greet. But the blue eyes of the media liaison eluded her for the time being. And with Hotch quickly approaching, Emily didn't have time to keep looking. Knowing Hotch wouldn't try to hug her, Emily relaxed a little as her boss stood comfortably in front of her. "We're glad to have you back Prentiss. And even though we couldn't get enough solid evidence to prosecute those Russian bastards, we won't stop trying. I know you'll feel safer with them off the streets, as will we all. No one hurts one of our own and gets away with it."

With a small smile of gratitude, Emily looked into her boss's eyes and responded honestly to him, "Thanks Hotch. You don't know how much that means to me. And even though I doubt they would be stupid enough to try anything like that again, it brings me reassurance that we're going to keep going after them. I'll sleep better knowing they can't get to me, or even to any of the team or our families, again."

A matching smile gracing his features, Hotch placed a reassuring hand on Emily's shoulder and squeezing softly. "Well, I'm going to grab a piece of cake and head back up to the office. I've got a mountain of paperwork from the case we just got off of. The past two weeks out in Oklahoma were rough, especially without you. We're glad to have you back Prentiss."

With a sad sigh at having missed an entire case, Emily watched Hotch grab a piece of cake and quickly scurry back to his office. That man never rested. And before the profiler had time to exhale, Reid and Rossi followed in quick succession to bring well wishes and greet her return to the BAU. The meetings were brief and to the point. The three remained ever the professionals.

Finally, with a moment to breathe, Emily resumed her search for the one person she truly wanted to see. It had been two whole weeks since she'd seen JJ. And with the case being so busy, the two had barely even had time to talk on the phone aside from a quick "Hello, how are you feeling, how is Henry, I got to go. Oh, don't forget to take your meds." But now the case was done and Emily was back at work, where she belonged. And with that thought resounding in her mind, blue eyes met brown from across the room.

JJ was standing with Morgan and Garcia by the cake that was still situated on Emily's desk, joking about something one of the two jokesters said. With the meeting of their eyes, JJ seemed to completely lose track of the discussion she was previously engaged in. Without so much as an "Excuse me," JJ left the conversation and crossed the room toward Emily, all the while maintaining the intense eye contact. When the two women stood face to face, JJ's head slightly angled up to meet the gaze of the taller woman, all that came forth was an almost breathy, "Hey."

"Hi." Emily responded in simple retort. No further words were really needed at the second. Just the emotional connection was enough for the time being. After several long, motionless, moments, Emily cleared her throat as though suddenly remembering that the two of them were no longer tucked away in the save haven of her secluded condo, but instead on display in the middle of the bullpen, for all eager and roaming eyes to see.

Also snapping out of her daze, JJ quickly looked down and around, before meeting eyes with Emily again. "I actually have some paperwork for you in my office. If you want to wait until after you eat some cake though we can put that off unt-"

"No, we can do it now. Right now is great," Emily eagerly agreed. She wasn't quite sure how to act around JJ at work, so she jumped at the opportunity to meet alone in the media liaison's office. Not to mention it was a great excuse to ditch the mini-party being thrown in her honor.

"Right now it is then," JJ agreed with a small smirk. Little did Emily know there wasn't actually any paperwork.

So the two agents made quick work of exiting to JJ's secluded office. But the hasty departure didn't go unnoticed by the ever watchful gaze of one Miss Penelope Garcia. With an aggressive slap to Morgan's chest, Garcia squealed in excitement.

"Ow woman! What was that for? I only want one more slice," Derek complained as he began eating his third piece of Emily's 'Welcome Back' cake. A cake he noticed the profiler being honored hadn't even touched yet.

"Operation JEM has just resumed," Garcia explained finally tearing her eyes away from the retreating figures of her two friends. Seeing the puzzled expression on Morgan's face, Garcia huffed a sigh of annoyance and continued, "You know, for someone who is supposed to notice things for a living, you really suck at it sometimes. JJ and Emily are already finding ways to be alone. Look around you…they're gone."

Taking a glance around the bullpen, Morgan realized the tech was right as a grin spread across his face. "That's my girl. Doesn't miss a beat," he chuckled as he resumed shoveling red velvet cake into his mouth. Penelope may have planned the party, but he got to pick out the cake.

Shaking her head at the tall profiler, Garcia just smiled along with the man as she began to continue developing ideas and scenarios for her Operation JEM mission. She'd just have to fill Morgan in later. The man couldn't be interrupted when red velvet cake was in the vicinity.

**-IF-**

Emily followed JJ into the isolated office, turning only to close the door behind them. And as she turned to face the blonde again, she asked, "So what is this paperwo-_humph._" But Emily never got to finish her sentence because she found herself with an armful of blonde woman. Obviously there was never any paperwork that she needed to fill out. And before she could truly react, JJ leaned up on her toes to capture the brunette's lips in a gentle kiss filled with longing, with hunger, with passion, and with every feeling she couldn't share with the profiler for the past two weeks of being separated.

Still weak from her recovery, Emily found it difficult to support both her and JJ in the tight embrace. But having been separated from JJ for so long, she had no urge to end the kiss just yet. Instead, she took a few hesitant steps back to rest her back against the solid wooden door, thus enabling her to support the weight more confidently. Once stabilized, Emily placed one hand in the small of JJ's back to bring the blonde's body flush against her own, and she brought her other hand up to tangle gently in golden locks. And that's how they remained for several moments. The kiss never grew aggressive, it was simply a gentle reminder that each missed the other.

Regretfully, Emily's injuries made themselves known once again as she found the need to break for air more quick and urgent than before her 'accident' as she had taken to calling the abduction. Pulling away slightly, Emily rested her forehead against JJ's shorter one as the two panted the same air. Finally catching her breath, Emily spoke first, "Should we be doing this here?"

"I don't really care. I missed you too much to wait until tonight. Besides, something tells me that Garcia will find a way to make sure we have some time alone," JJ chuckled as she kept her eyes shut and just reveled in the feeling of being in Emily's arms again.

Not really expecting to hear much more about the subject, JJ was surprised to hear Emily continuing with the topic, "I missed you too. So much."

A plus side of spending the three weeks before being sent off on the case in Oklahoma was that Emily was starting to open up more and more. The brunette didn't automatically shut down now anytime an emotional situation presented itself. And even though JJ figured it had something to do with little Henry living in the house with them and Emily finding it impossible to hide behind her walls around the boy, the blonde woman didn't care. She was just grateful that it had started happening. Nevertheless, it still somewhat surprised her when Emily revealed this side of herself without coaxing on her part. "Well, the downside of spending every waking, and sleeping, moment together for three weeks, is that when that time is over, it's damn near impossible to resume life as normal. But I'm glad to find that the feeling is mutual," JJ finished with a smile and she slide her arms tighter around the brunette's neck and planted another healthy kiss on the profiler.

This one ending sooner than the last, Emily commented, "I still can't believe you used all of your vacation time to care for me. I should be mad at you…" Emily let the comment hang in the air as she placed a few short kisses to the blonde's full lips. Like she could actually be mad at the woman for something so mundane.

"I didn't really hear you complaining when you were being waited on hand and foot for those three weeks. That's probably why you missed me so much! You missed your dutiful servant," JJ joked as she pulled further out of the embrace to properly look into Emily's eyes. The profiler's eyes were clear and reflecting a bright chocolate brown in the soft light of the dim office. No longer clouded with the side effects of the pain medications, JJ knew Emily must really be feeling better if she stopped taking her pills. But she also knew that Emily would never return to work at the BAU under any kind of drug induced haze, legal or otherwise.

With a deep throaty chuckle, Emily brought both of her arms to encircle JJ's waist as the two continued to hold each other while leaning against the office door. "That's exactly why I missed you. I'm sure it had nothing to do with falling asleep next to you every night. Or waking up next to you every morning. Or our stolen kisses behind Henry's back. I absolutely don't miss any of those things," Emily punctuated each statement with a chaste kiss to JJ's slightly swollen lips.

The media liaison's face broke out into a wide smile as she continued to gaze into Emily's eyes. She could just feel her heart soar every time Emily spoke so openly about her feelings. It was almost surreal. It was almost too good to be true. But pushing those thoughts aside, where they rightfully deserved to go, JJ peppered Emily's face with more kisses before pulling out of the hug all together. Although she didn't want to break the embrace, she could feel Emily shaking from the weight and she knew the profiler was not anywhere close to her previous strength. So the blonde stepped back and instead placed her hands gently on either side of Emily's rib cage and looked up while asking, "How are you feeling? And don't try to lie to me, because I'll know. I could feel you shaking just now. Was that pain?"

Emily sighed as she made her way out of JJ's arms and to the chair in front of the large desk. "I'm fine JJ. I'm still a little sore, but I think I can hold you and not be met with a freaking inquisition afterward." Emily tried to joke. But they both knew the truth was that if JJ didn't check, Emily's stubborn attitude of not admitting weakness would do nothing but physically hurt her in the long run.

Kneeling on the ground in front of Emily, JJ spread her hands out on the profiler's thighs and looked up at her from beneath her eyelashes. It was actually a dirty little trick, knowing that the brunette couldn't resist the look coupled with her baby blues. "I'm sorry Em, I'm just worried about you. I'm going to be worried for a long time I think, so maybe you could just humor me?"

The eyes, the look, the nickname. JJ was really not playing fair. But still, playfully rolling her eyes, Emily allowed a small smile to slip through her fake mask of anger before responding, "I guess I can understand that. But now that we have the obligatory 'how is poor, poor, pitiful Emily, doing' out of the way, I have something I want to ask you."

JJ immediately perked up to attention in that moment. Because gone was the playful Emily and the lust filled Emily and the work Emily. In their place was a nervous Emily.

The brunette reached one hand up to rub the back of her neck while looking everywhere but at JJ. She shouldn't be nervous. This was really just a gesture of sorts since the two had gone about things all backwards, but a gesture she was determined to make regardless. Emily was jostled out of her anxious thoughts when she heard JJ's impatient voice call out, "Well? What did you want to ask?" If there was one thing JJ wasn't known for, it was her patience.

Finally looking down into expecting blue eyes, Emily found the confidence she needed in the love she found shining in those blue orbs. "Jennifer Jareau, would you do me the honor of going out with me?"

Emily could see the realization spring to life in JJ's crystal blue eyes as the smile spread wide across her face. And just as the media liaison opened her mouth to respond, the shrill ringing of her telephone cut through the air. With a large smile still in place, JJ whispered, "Hold that thought," as she quickly ran to answer the offensive object.

Before the blonde could even say hello, she heard the hurried voice of Garcia come across the line, "Whatever you two lovebirds are up to in there, you better stop. You're about to have some company."

JJ didn't get a chance to defend herself or to ask any questions because the line went dead just as a firm knock echoed through the office. With a curious glance towards Emily, JJ made her way to the closed door, took a deep breath to help her return to duty as the BAU media liaison, and confidently swung the door open.

The momentary pause was enough to have Emily straining to see around JJ from her seated position. Whatever was going on was obviously something JJ hadn't been prepared for. Just as the profiler was about to get up to see who was at the door and if she should leave, the name she heard uttered next only served to have her falling back into her seat and cradling her now pounding head in her hands. "Ambassador Prentiss." Leave it to her mother to show up at the most inopportune time.

**-IF-**

**A/N: So I am still very much in "business writing" mode. So you'll have to excuse me if I'm a little rusty on the descriptive stuff. I hope this was worth the wait. And I have already started on the next chapter! Let me know if y'all are still with me! And let me know what y'all think! **


	26. Smirk

**A/N: So, it only took like a month and a half. Much better than a whole year right?! Enjoy!**

**-IF-**

The Ambassador and the media liaison stood toe to toe, evaluating each other. After a few still moments of a seemingly silent battle, Elizabeth broke the silence in a way JJ wasn't exactly expecting, "I do believe I've already instructed you to call me Elizabeth." The smile that followed, though a bit strained, was obviously genuine from the regal woman.

And though JJ wanted to remember the woman as the devastated and loving mother she knew was buried deep down inside those many compartments, the blonde couldn't quite get past the fact that the Ambassador had left her broken and beaten daughter lying shattered, both physically and emotionally, in a sterile hospital room. So with her own tight smile, JJ stood a bit straighter and responded, "Yes, I recall. How can I help you Ambassador?"

The direct rejection of her attempt to reestablish a cordial relationship did not go unnoticed by the seasoned politician. But instead of reacting like she normally would, by lashing out and responding with an equally cutting quip, Elizabeth instead softened her strained features and accepted the cold welcoming. She wasn't here to fight.

Shock flashed across the soft features of the media liaison as she watched a contrite Ambassador gaze down at her. She had been excepting some kind of curt response to her sarcastic reply. Instead, she was gazing in apologetic eyes. Eyes that accepted the anger and hostility coming off of JJ in waves. And the blonde certainly didn't expect the soft voice that responded, "I was told my daughter could be found here. May I come in?"

Deciding to save JJ from any further interaction with her impossible mother, Emily finally rose from her hunched position in the chair and made her way to the two women still facing off at the door. Placing a soothing hand on the small of the blonde's back, Emily felt the quick response in JJ's body as the blonde immediately relaxed at the comforting touch. Not in the mood to play the normal games that a typical meeting with the Ambassador involved, the profiler cut right to the chase, "What do you need, Mother?"

Neither woman missed the sharp intake of breath at Elizabeth's first glance of Emily. The last the Ambassador had seen her daughter, bruises and swelling riddled her normally smooth skin in an unsightly maze of purple and red. But now, with the aide of makeup, the profiler was all but returned to normal. Ever the professional, Elizabeth hastily swallowed any further gasps or exclamations and proceeded with her reason for visiting, "I was hoping to speak with you alone, Emily." Neither woman missed the almost nervous glance the older woman quickly passed in the media liaison's direction.

Sighing as though even the thought of dealing with her mother's weighted 'chats' brought on a heavy exhaustion, Emily responded hurriedly, but still respectfully. Old habits die hard, especially when the woman who raised her to be so perfectly polite and well-mannered stood not 5 feet from her, "Mother, now is not an ideal time. It is my first day back and I have much to catch up on. Would it be possible to have this conversation tonight, after work perhaps?"

JJ wasn't the only one who noticed Emily's rigid posture, ultra-proper speech patterns, and the desperate plea to be left alone not so discreetly hidden behind the rushed words. But the Ambassador had come to the BAU with a purpose, knowing that to corner Emily would be the only way to make her daughter speak to her. "It will only be but a minute of your time. Please Emily, minha filha?"

Being that Emily's hand was still settled in the small of JJ's back, the blonde felt, rather than saw, the affect that the Ambassador's words had on the brunette. So when she looked up with a questioning glance towards the profiler, she wasn't surprised to see a look of bitter acceptance on the taller woman's face. Whatever Elizabeth had just said to Emily in Portuguese had taken the ability to decide about whether or not to talk to her mother away from the daughter. "Very well, Mother." Stepping aside, Emily allowed Elizabeth into JJ's office. "But JJ stays. Whatever you have to discuss with me can take place in front of her."

Shutting the door with a soft click, JJ figured her best tactic at this point was to remain unnoticed and silent. So instead of moving to her safe place behind her desk, she instead stood by the door, silently willing for this meeting to quickly take place. She wanted to get back to her earlier conversation with Emily.

The brunette profiler stood facing her mother, not offering a seat to show she had no desire to mingle in the presence of the other woman. So, ever aware of JJ's presence to her side, Emily waited patiently for her mother to begin speaking.

Once inside the office, Elizabeth truly looked at Emily, for the first time in ages, and despaired at what she saw. The guarded woman who stood before her showed no signs of forgiveness, of acceptance, of love for her mother. Was she possibly too late? Was the relationship she so desperately wanted to mend with her daughter doomed before she even began her efforts? Taking in a silent breath of courage, Elizabeth prayed that wasn't the case. The shocking reality Emily's abduction brought that life is short and fleeting, slipping through her fingers at an alarming rate, had also brought the realization that she no longer cared for the politics of the American government. She wanted, needed, to reestablish a bond with her only daughter, her only family. And she would stop at nothing, do whatever she needed to do, to see this desire through.

Looking into the guarded, compartmentalized brown eyes of her daughter, a trait she regretfully had passed on and taught to her, Elizabeth took one more shuddering breath and began to speak the news she had originally come to deliver, "The time has come for me to retire, Emily."

The Ambassador didn't miss the sharp gasp of shock, not just from Emily but from the blonde still lingering at the door as well. "Mother, why would you-"

Holding up a hand, Emily obediently fell silent. Yes, some habits die hard indeed. "I didn't come to discuss the why's or how's or what for's. That is a conversation for another time and another place. I simply came to inform you of my decision. And also, to ask for your attendance at the retirement gala being held in my honor." With an awkward cough and a tentative glance towards the blonde still trying to hide beside the door, Elizabeth continued, "The invitation will read Ms. Emily Prentiss plus one. So I hope to see you in attendance as well, Ms. Jareau."

Emily's eyes widened in realization at her mother's words of invitation towards JJ. The profiler had spent enough years reading and deciphering the cryptic essence of her mother. But this development, this roundabout way to show Emily she was accepting and approving of her interest in JJ, wasn't one that was particularly difficult to decode. And while the profiler had been in such a defensive state of mind, as was her normal approach when dealing with the Ambassador, she hadn't taken the time to fully evaluate the older woman as she normally would anyone else.

Taking the time now, for a breath of a moment, Emily finally took in the Ambassador. In the span of a few heartbeats, the profiler turned her arsenal of skills on her mother. Elizabeth Prentiss was not a woman to be described as weak. Nor was she one to appear remorseful or apologetic, instead choosing to forge ahead with no regrets, rarely looking back at the broken hearts or crushed souls she left in her wake. Now was not necessarily different, however, a more reserved, a more subdued, Ambassador stood before Emily today. In that moment, when her eyes reconnected with the similar brown ones of her mother's the brunette knew that this was her mother's way of trying to mend bridges. Her mother was reaching out, she had only to rhetorically grasp the offered hand.

Though she wasn't quite ready to forgive all the past hurts, pain's a mother should never put her daughter through, Emily was still just that little girl deep down inside, yearning for the embrace of her mother. Visibly relaxing from her previously rigid stance, Emily finally responded, "Of course I'll be there." And before answering for the blonde, Emily cast a quick glance to her side. In a way familiar to the two of them, JJ silently conveyed her response, allowing Emily to answer for her, "JJ and I would love to attend."

The Ambassador noticeably sagged in relief, obviously fearing the rejection she thought inevitable. "Wonderful. The formal invitation should be delivered in the next few days. The event is next Saturday evening, so be sure to keep that open," Elizabeth spouted off in rapid succession. With a timid step forward, the older woman looked as though she wanted to embrace her daughter, something else she hadn't done in ages. But at the last moment, she placed a typical kiss to a once again smooth cheek before stepping back and starting to make her way towards the door. "Very well then. I told you it wouldn't be but a moment of your time. I'll just be off now and let you ladies get back to your work. Good day."

Emily stood in shocked silence for a solitary moment as her mother opened the door and departed from the cramped office. When she made eye contact with the questioning and concerned blue eyes beside her, Emily made a snap, and almost rash, decision. Rushing out of the door, Emily turned to track her mother before the woman got too far. Spotting her just at the end of the hall, still apart from everyone else in the BAU, Emily urgently called out, "Mother, wait!"

Hearing the desperate plea in her daughter's voice, Elizabeth quickly spun around and gazed questioningly into worried brown eyes. "Yes dear?"

Uncharacteristically emotional, Emily almost stumbled on her words. It was a sight the Ambassador hadn't witnessed in the woman for years. "Um, would you possibly want to get together sometime soon? For lunch, or dinner. It doesn't matter. I just, I don't know, thought we could catch up?" Emily finished weakly, losing her courage as the adrenaline seeped from her system.

But the beaming smile that spread across Elizabeth's face reassured Emily that she had made the right decision. "Yes Emily, that is a fantastic idea. I would very much love that."

Still a bit awkward because she wasn't used to this type of interaction with her mother, the profiler replied, "So, I'll call you after work and we can set something up, preferably before the gala?"

"That sounds perfect," responded the Ambassador, with glistening eyes. Not holding herself back this time, Elizabeth stepped into her daughter's space and pulled the fragile woman into her loving embrace. An embrace given too seldom in their time as mother and daughter. An embrace that now meant the mending of their relationship. An embrace that Emily quickly realized she needed more than anything else. But when the profiler heard her mother whisper 'eu te amo minha filha' softly, quietly, gently into her ear, Emily struggled to hold back the onslaught of emotions waging within her. But with years of practiced ease, Emily simply tucked the reaction away into a compartment and quickly composed herself.

After returning the embrace with eager need, Emily stood straight and tall and proud once more. The sensation of being vulnerable in front of her mother was still foreign to her, thus she strived to remain in control of the situation. Knowing her daughter was having trouble at the moment, Elizabeth simply ran her hand down one of Emily's arms before stepping away, back towards the end of the hall. "I look forward to your call Emily dear."

Grateful that no further words, actions, or emotions were needed from her, Emily watched as the Ambassador, for she would always be the mighty Ambassador in her mind, disappeared around the corner. Turning slowly on her unsteady feet, the profiler made her way blindly back towards JJ's office. When she entered the dim room, Emily immediately felt concerned eyes evaluating her every move. So when she slowly sat down in the chair once more, she wasn't surprised to find JJ kneeling in front of her. Emily almost laughed at the position, identical to how they were just before her mother showed up. But that moment felt like it was eons ago.

"Are you alright?" Emily heard JJ whisper from in front of her. With a tired smile, the brunette raised her weary eyes from their locked position on the floor, to meet the anxious blue ones she knew waited for her.

Laughing mirthlessly into the quiet room, Emily replied, "Yeah. I'm, actually, perfect. We're going to get together sometime before the gala and talk." With a growing smile, and glistening eyes that mirrored the eyes of her mother's just moment before, she further explained, "JJ, she told me she loved me. She hugged me. She spoke to me in Portuguese, called me by a name she hasn't used in decades. I can't remember the last time she has done any of that with me," Emily finished obviously elated at the prospect of strengthening her relationship with her mother.

JJ wanted to be happy for Emily. Especially when the brunette pulled her in for a strong, impromptu kiss of joy. But she had also developed a strong, overprotective streak for the profiler. So when Emily pulled back, hands still gently clutching either side of JJ's face, the blonde reached up and wrapped her own hands around thin wrists. "Just promise me you'll be careful Emily. I don't want you to get your hopes up and then end up hurt. This is still the same woman who left you beaten and broken in a hospital room not even twenty four hours after your rescue from the Russian mob that _she_ introduced us all to."

Despite the elation coursing through her, Emily saw the wisdom of JJ's gentle words. But JJ had only met Elizabeth on a handful of occasions, all of them, with the exception of the present one, being during a crisis of some sort. So Emily reassured the blonde, running her thumb lightly down the cheek of the face she still held, then gently over soft lips, "I hear what you're saying, but you don't know the Ambassador like I do. This time…this time she was different. It's okay JJ, no need to worry."

The blonde, still kneeling before the profiler, simply smiled softly before leaning in to capture the lips of the brunette once again. She wouldn't ruin the joy of the moment for Emily. She didn't have the heart to wipe the smile off of her face or to kill the light that seemed to be shining from within her bright brown eyes. Instead, she resolved to keep her own eyes open, and to remain wary of the changed Ambassador. Because if there was one thing that Jennifer Jareau wasn't going to do, it was let Emily be hurt again.

So when the two parted, instead of delving deeper into her worries, JJ instead changed the subject completely, "So, care to continue our earlier conversation?"

Emily smiled at the mischievous twinkle shining in the blue eyes of the media liaison. She knew that JJ was just trying to lighten the mood and allow Emily time to process the meeting herself before being forced to really discuss it in detail. And feeling in a mood far happier than she anticipated this day would bring, Emily, instead of jumping right back into the conversation, decided to tease the blonde a little, "Earlier conversation? I don't seem to recall what exactly we were talking about…"

Dropping her mouth open in shock, JJ shot up from her crouched position in a playful pout before stomping over to fall childishly into her desk chair. Two could play at this game. So shaking off her playful demeanor, the blonde responded, "You're right. Besides, I just realized I have actual paperwork I need to do. So if you'll excuse me, _Agent Prentiss, _I really need to tend to this," JJ finished in a completely serious tone. She struggled to keep a straight face as she hunched over her desk and began to shuffle meaningless papers around on top, giving the illusion there was some semblance of order to her mess.

Emily sat in her chair and simply blinked a few times in baffled silence as she watched the media liaison bend over her large desk and seemingly disappear into her work. At first, scared that she had actually angered JJ, Emily debated whether to address the situation or just silently slip from the dim office. But at the last minute, the brunette saw a flicker of movement at the corners of JJ's lips, signifying her struggle to keep from grinning. And with a closer look, the profiler saw that the "work" JJ was hunched over was actually just the old itineraries of the past case.

With a grin of her own in place, Emily sauntered over toward JJ's desk. But instead of stopping in front of the mahogany structure, the profiler instead made her way behind. When she reached the media liaison in her large office chair, she gently spun it around until the blonde was facing her. Slowly, ever so slowly, Emily leaned down, placing her hands on either arm rest, until her face was only a breath away from JJ's. With her sultry smirk in place, Emily whispered out in a husky tone, "Well then _Agent Jareau_, I guess there won't be any discussion about Saturday night."

JJ, looking up into hooded brown eyes, swallowed deeply with the realization that her plan backfired. She hadn't anticipated Emily's aggressive turn. Probably because the blonde had never really seen this side of the brunette. So with lust and desire clouding her suddenly jumbled brain, the only coherent thing the media liaison could utter came out as a single breathy word, "Saturday?"

Licking her lips, aware of the blue eyes intently soaking in every detail of the sensual movement, Emily continued, voice still husky with seduction, "Mmmmhmm. For our date."

The blonde felt her mouth go dry as she watched Emily wet her full lips in a slow movement that also made her breath catch in her parched throat. The nearness, the lust, the pure heat of desire coursing through her, JJ could only mumbled another one word response, "Date?"

Taking a little time to respond, Emily simply enjoyed the moment of control she was maintaining over JJ. Though JJ had been the instigator thus far, Emily was used to being the aggressor. She was always the one who pursued, not stopping until she got what she wanted. Often times, tactics such as pure, animalistic, seduction were necessary. This, this was definitely one of those times. So, careful to prevent any actual skin contact, the brunette kept the distance minimal, so that JJ couldn't garner any satisfaction from a brief touch, but she could feel each breath Emily took, could feel each word spoken in hushed whispers against her currently flushed skin.

Still, Emily waited. Enjoying the intoxicating rush of desire and lust and control coursing through her own blood. And when blue eyes, darken as they were with lust, finally met brown once more, the profiler continued, "But since you're too busy with _paperwork_, I'll just be on my way." Leaning in with the practiced ease of a seasoned seductress, Emily placed a lingering kiss to the very corner of JJ's parted, softly panting lips, knowing the chaste touch would only further the desire and need and lust coursing through the blonde's body instead of doing anything to appease it.

Stepping back, the profiler took in the need painted clearly across the blonde's delicate features. With a self-satisfied smirk, the brunette stepped back from the media liaison and made her way toward the closed office door. But before she stepped outside, Emily turned one last time to glance at JJ, still reclined in her office chair, eyes still closed in longing, short breaths still panting from parted lips. With a smirk now turned into a full smile, Emily softly closed the office door and made her way back towards her own desk.

**-IF-**

**A/N: How did y'all like predator Emily? So, I was thinking, the next chapter should be the date maybe? What do y'all think? **


	27. Date

**A/N: Alright guys, here is the big date chapter! **

**-IF-**

The blonde media liaison stood facing the open door to her walk-in closet while clothes littered the floor and bed behind her. With a hand firmly fisted on one hip and the other resting against her forehead, JJ let out a sigh of defeat. She had nothing to wear. Despite having an extensive variety of clothing to choose from, thousands of dollars poured into her shoe collection alone, she could not find the perfect combination of material the she felt would knock Emily off of her feet.

Desperate and at her wit's end, she did the one thing she had been hoping not to do. She called Penelope Garcia for backup. Not that she didn't want to spend the time getting ready for her date with her best friend, but she knew the relentless jokes and jabs would do nothing but make her already shot nerves, worse. Nevertheless, desperate times called for desperate measures. So the blonde picked up the phone and she selected the computer tech's number and waited for the woman to pick up, "Hey Pen, could you come over early? I know you're not supposed to get here until seven to watch Henry, but I need your help." No further words were needed as JJ hung up the phone and sat down on her cluttered bed to wait until her reinforcement arrived.

Thirty minutes later, Garcia sat perched in the same spot JJ had occupied when the tech walked into the room after letting herself into the house. She watched as the media liaison tried on the third outfit in the past five minutes. As the fit woman shimmied into the skin tight dress, Garcia continued with her questions, "So, she _really_ hasn't told you anything? You honestly have no idea about tonight?"

Breathing heavily from the effort of squeezing into the garment she was already certain she wouldn't be wearing, JJ huffed, "Not a single word. And before you ask, I've already tried to use Henry to get it out of her, but she's apparently drafted him to her side because he is just as stubbornly tight-lipped about the whole thing as she is being."

Even before JJ could finish attempting to zip up the dress, Garcia indicated with a quick shake of her head that the outfit wasn't the one to go with, "Too slutty," she explained quickly before going back into thought about the evening ahead for JJ. "And you said she's being avoiding you since she asked you out?"

Looking down at the red, skin-tight dress, JJ agreed with Penelope's assessment and began the process of peeling off the red material before answering, "Well, I wouldn't exactly call it 'avoiding.' I think a more appropriate term would be that she's being evasive. And aloof. And thus my problem of finding something to wear. I have no idea what we're doing or where we're going, so I don't know how to dress," JJ ranted as she trekked back into her closet for hopefully the final time.

Garcia really did feel bad for her friend. JJ was normally a cluttered person, but as the tech looked around the room at the clothes and shoes scattered everywhere as though a tornado had whirled through, she knew that the blonde was truly nervous. So going against her normal nature, she decided to take pity on the woman and try her hand at reassuring comments, "Look, JJ, this is Emily Prentiss we're talking about here. The woman has been madly in love with you since the day she laid eyes on you. Just calm down and breathe for a minute. You could wear a brown paper bag and Emily would probably still think you're the most beautiful woman in the world."

Garcia watched as JJ's head popped out of the closet before hearing her speak, "Are you actually trying to be nice? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

Smirking as the blonde head of hair disappeared in a flash back into the giant closet, she responded, "Yeah, don't get used to it Buttercup. I think I'm developing hives just from that one comment."

After a moment of silence laced with grunts and huffs, Garcia's eyes widen the moment she watched JJ walk back into the room, fully clothed this time. "That's it. That's the one," Penelope gasped as she took in the sight before her.

Looking down with a questioning glance, JJ wasn't as convinced, "Are you sure? I just put this on because it is literally the last outfit in there. It's not my usual date style."

"Emily Prentiss will be a puddle of desire the moment she sees you. I guarantee," the tech reassured.

Taking a moment to navigate the dangerous maze of clothing that had become her bedroom, JJ stood before her full length mirror and had to agree with Garcia. She looked hot. Finally smiling because she had found her outfit, JJ whirled around in delight. "You're right Pen, this is the one."

"Of course I'm right. I'm always right."

Rolling her eyes, JJ simply walked back towards her bathroom to apply her make-up and finish getting ready. With the normal girl talk passed back and forth between the women, the media liaison felt her shot nerves begin to calm down. Once that happened, the smile already on her face only grew with the thought running repeatedly thought her mind, _"I'm finally going on a date with Emily."_

**-IF-**

"Alright Henry, remember the plan?" Emily asked calmly, despite her ever increasing anxiety level. She guessed that JJ would be busying getting ready for the date all day, so she had picked Henry up from his grandparents the day before after work and kept him overnight. And anyway, she needed the time to prep the small boy to assist in her plan.

"Oh yeah, Opewation Twansformer is going to be a success!" Henry exclaimed as he looked up at her with a smile spreading across his face.

Emily could only join him as she also smiled at the code name for their plan. She should have known that when she let him pick the name, it would have something to do with the cartoon. Looking down at the excited child, she felt her own nervousness ease just being in the presence of his enthusiasm. "Well, we're almost there so do you want to practice one more time?"

"Nah, I got it wemembewized," he replied confidently as he allowed his curious gaze to wonder around for the umpteenth time during the ride over. "Hey Aunt Emmy?"

"Yeah Champ?"

"Can we wide in a limo all the time?"

The innocent question brought a chuckle from deep within as she responded while running her fingers through straw-colored hair, "Not all the time. But on special occasions we can."

"Like my birfday?!"

"Yeah, like your birthday," Emily reassured, already fearing she was slowly creating a monster.

Looking from the enthusiastic child to out of the window, Emily realized with a startled breath that they were finally on JJ's street in her quiet neighborhood. At the same moment, the normally attentive profiler heard "We're here, Ms. Prentiss," spoken clearly from the front.

"Thank you, James," Emily responded in kind. Taking a steadying breath, she looked down and spoke to Henry again, "Alright Champ, we're here. Remember your job?"

Emily never received a response, because in a flash of yellow hair and boyish energy, Henry tore from the back seat the moment James opened the door, and raced to the front door of his house. Emerging from the back herself, Emily grinned as she heard a quiet, but energetic, "Goooooooo Opewation Twansformer!" drift through the air. She had faith Henry would remember what to do. So now, all she had to do was sit back, and wait. Staring into the darkening sky, breathing in the cooling night air, she leaned against the black limo, and did just that.

**-IF-**

Having finished getting ready with only five minutes to spare, JJ and Garcia sat in the living room, still talking girl stuff. One woman remained anxious and excited, while the other continued to try and sooth those frazzled nerves. So when the front door swung open without warning, they both sprang to their feet, JJ's hand automatically flying to her empty hip where her gun usually sat. But when they spotted Henry looking around, they both sighed as relief flooded their veins.

When JJ finally actually took in her son's appearance, Garcia's presence faded into the background, and she was left speechless at the sight before her. Henry, her little boy, looked all grown up in a small tuxedo, obviously freshly bought and tailored to fit his small body. And in his hand, was a bouquet of a dozen gerbera daisies in vibrant colors that seemed brighter when paired with the beaming smile on her son's face. Before she or Garcia could get one word out, Henry walked until he was standing right in front of his mother and said, "These are for you Mommy!"

JJ smiled as she gazed into her son's shining blue eyes. With one hand, the mother reached out and took the offered bouquet, and with the other, she ran her fingers through the blonde hair of her son. The media liaison couldn't stop her eyes from growing misty at this development. Of course Emily would find a way to incorporate Henry into this important night, even though he wouldn't be going with them. The gesture, so pure and so thoughtful, spread a warmth through JJ's body that served to almost completely sooth her nerves. Forcing herself not to let any tears of joy fall, JJ swallowed before responding, "Thank you Henry, that's very thoughtful."

"Aunt Emmy let me pick them out. I liked them the best because they had lots of colors." Taking a moment to stand up a little straighter, a little taller, Henry moved his eyes from the bouquet to connect with those of his mother. "Are you weady, Mommy?" He asked innocently.

JJ watched in amazement as Henry actually played at straightening his bowtie, while waiting for her to respond. "Yeah," she whispered, "I'm ready."

Smiling grandly because this was his favorite part of the plan he had practiced with Emily, Henry turned so he was standing beside and facing the same way as his mother. Lifting an arm, he extended his elbow in an invitation for JJ to place her hand in the crook of his arm. When she did, the little boy looked up and said, "Wight this way m'lady. Your cawwiage awaits."

Garcia, hanging back, watched as Henry escorted his mother towards the front door with all the poise of a young man.

Emily lifted herself up from her casual lean against the car the moment she spotted the mother and son make their way through the front door. She saw that JJ was distracted for the moment as the blonde was still gazing down at her son lovingly and awe-struck. A curtain of blonde hair fell over JJ's face, but if Emily had to guess, she'd say the look would mirror that of Henry's, full of happiness and love and joy. And so with her private moment to just witness the two of them together, Emily felt her breath catch at the beauty, grace, and _body_ of the blonde woman.

In the span of a few seconds, the profiler drank in every detail of the media liaison, and felt herself grow heavy with desire at the sight before her eyes. She was pleasantly surprised to find that JJ didn't wear a dress, as she thought the blonde would. Instead, she was outfitted in three-inch silver stiletto heels and skin tight black skinny jeans that hugged every curve, and stretched with every motion of those athletic legs. A sparkling silver top caught the last remaining sun rays as it peaked out from beneath a cropped, fitted, tailored white suit jacket with the sleeves slightly pushed up slim arms to show off several silver bands and a large silver watch. It was going to be nearly impossible to keep her hands to herself all night, as was her plan. This would be a proper first date, even if it slowly killed her.

Having taken in every detail of her adorable son in his tailored tuxedo, JJ was finally able to lift her head and look for Emily as the two of them continued to walk down the stone path away from the house. When her eyes found the brunette, she lost her breath again, for the second time that evening. There was Emily, standing before a shiny black limousine, wearing an exquisite black dress that could only have come from a designer with a foreign name. Not able to remember the last time she had seen the profiler in anything but a power suit or sweats, the blonde fell the pull of lust curling wickedly in her belly. The one shouldered dress was tight and hugged all the right curves of the brunette as she stood tall and regal as ever in shorter, one-inch pointed black stilettos of her own.

Just as they each finished raking her eyes over the figure of the other, JJ and Henry came to a stop just before Emily. "Hi," Emily breathed out as nothing else seemed to enter her lust filled brain.

"Hi," JJ responded in kind. Smiles slowly spread across both faces as they just stared and looked into each other's eyes. Blue searching and analyzing brown.

"Can I come wif you?" Henry asked excitedly from below serving to break the spell the two found themselves in.

Clearing her throat, Emily shifted her eyes to connect with a different blue pair. "Not this time, Champ. Remember? I am taking your Mother somewhere special. But we made a deal for next weekend, don't forget and make other plans," Emily finished with a smile as she watched Henry's frown disappear.

"Oh yeah! The zoo!" The little boy cheered as he continued to stand with his mother's hand resting in the crook of his arm. He somehow knew that now wasn't the time to jump or move around.

"Exactly." In this moment, Emily was grateful for the little boy. It made her focus on words, instead of the emotions she was fighting to control at the sight of JJ. "Hey, did you tell your mom what we practiced?" Emily asked before she had to send him back inside.

Shaking his head, Henry then turned, took his mother's hand that was resting on his arm into his two smaller ones, looked up into her curious blue eyes, and said, "Mãe, você está linda."

When the same curious blue eyes shifted in a questioning glance, Emily easily translated the heavily English accented Portuguese, "You look beautiful, Mother."

Now smiling in understanding, JJ leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to her son's head and whispered, "Thank you so much Henry. And you are quite handsome yourself sir, looking very dashing in your new tuxedo."

When the exchange was over, Emily reached over and signaled for a high-five from the small child. "Operation Transformer was a success!" she said. And as though that was the secret code, JJ didn't get another word in as Henry ran back up the path and disappeared into the house.

Realizing they were finally alone, JJ slowly turned back to face Emily. When she did, she found a single, long-stemmed red rose being offered to her. "Henry picked out the daisies, but I wanted to get you a small token as well," Emily explained as she passed the rose to JJ's free hand. She feared it would be too cliché, but at the dazzled look in the blue eyes, she knew she had made the right choice.

"It's perfect," JJ whispered, amazed. She was already beginning to feel swept off her feet and she hadn't even left her neighborhood yet.

Leaning in to place a gentle kiss on a blushing cheek, Emily lingered for a moment before stepping back to trace over every curve, line, and dimple of the face before her. After a few seconds of shared silence Emily said, "Every day you take my breath away with your beauty. But tonight…tonight I fear I may never catch my breath again."

"Oh Emily, you're going to make me cry! And before I can even tell you how stunningly gorgeous you look in that dress," JJ replied as she searched the brown eyes still slightly above her own despite her three inch heels.

"No crying allowed on our first date," Emily teased as she turned to open the door to the limo. "Shall we?" she asked, so prim and proper, as she placed a guiding hand in the small of JJ's back to help steady the blonde as she climbed into the back. Once Emily climbed in herself, James, always silent and hidden in the background, shut the door and circled back around to the driver's door. Without another word, the limo pulled from the curb and began the trek towards the next portion of the evening.

**-IF-**

Sipping the rest of the chilled champagne in her glass, JJ's eyes widen when she realized what parking lot the limo was pulling in to. "Is this a mistake?"

"Mistake?" Emily asked confused.

"Yeah. A mistake. Because there is no way you got us a reservation here. It's the most exclusive restaurant in DC!" the blonde exclaimed as she looked back out the window at the chic building that housed the French restaurant, Nuit Noire.

Chuckling softly, Emily simply responded, "I know the owner."

Looking back towards the brunette, JJ thought, _"Of course she knows the owner,"_ before actually saying, "Well, sometimes I forget how connected you are." Before turning her gaze back to the crowd of people around the front of the building, all no doubt trying to find a way to get a table for the night.

Having obviously lost herself in the excitement of the moment, JJ didn't realize the limo had stopped until she felt Emily gently removing the champagne glass from her hand. The next moment, the door was being opened by the dutiful James.

When the two women emerged from the back, Emily's hand found residence in the small of JJ's back as the brunette confidently guided the pair to the front doors. "Have you ever had French food before?"

"A few times. But I'm sure nothing up to this level."

"Well then you're in for a real treat," Emily responded softly as she reached forward with her free hand to open the door before JJ could even think about doing it herself.

And once they entered the restaurant, it was like the noise and rush and stress from just outside immediately evaporated. Instead, a hush fell over them as they walked up to the maître d'. Without even saying a word, the tall, thin man immediately sprang into frenzied action, "Ms. Prentiss, right on time. Your normal table is waiting. Right this way."

"Thanks Mark. Mark, this is Jennifer Jareau, my lovely date this evening."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Jareau," the man, who JJ decided she definitely liked, winked when he looked back over his shoulder at her.

The blonde smiled in response. And before she knew it, the trio reached a small, private room in a secluded area of the restaurant. The room, lit only by dozens of candles, was cozy and sophisticated all at the same time. When she finally turned back to talk to Mark, she found he had silently disappeared, leaving only a softly smiling Emily, soft candle glow warming her naturally tan skin.

Emily's eyes racked over every possible inch of JJ's porcelain skin. The candle light, which she had instructed be ready before they arrived, cast sultry shadows moving lazily over the already glowing skin. How could she be this lucky? Without being able to contain her need any longer, the brunette closed the small distance between the two of them within seconds. Reaching up, she used one finger to direct the blonde's chin up until she captured blue eyes with her searing brown ones. Licking her lips in barely contained restraint, Emily's raspy whisper floated through the air, "With you standing here, cloaked in candlelight, looking stunning in that outfit, I'm finding it very hard to control the urge to kiss you."

"So don't," JJ breathed out as she shifted her eyes to taking in Emily's full, inviting lips. All the blonde could think about was how unsatisfied she had been since Emily's little teasing act earlier in the week.

But just when JJ thought Emily would close the distance and capture her lips in a passionate kiss, she realize in dismay that the brunette was stepping backwards, not forwards. Returning her questioning eyes to the brown ones slightly above her, the blonde got her answer, "I wouldn't want to disrespect you by breaking proper first date etiquette." Before JJ could fathom a response to such a ludicrous notion, the profiler stepped all the way back and motioned towards the table set for two just feet from where they were standing. Walking the two of them over, Emily pulled out JJ's chair and waited to assist the blonde in sitting before taking a seat herself.

When they picked up the menus, JJ immediately panicked because she couldn't read a word as everything was written entirely in French. Seeing the alarm spread across the previously happy face, Emily started assisting the blonde, explaining what words meant chicken, fish, and so on.

Within mere minutes, a waiter came by to take their orders, and to bring a bottle of wine that JJ didn't remember Emily ordering. "You must come here a lot."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, you have your own private room. They already know what wine to bring you. Everyone seems to know your name. And I wouldn't be surprised if the chef himself brought out our food."

As if on cue, a string of servers entered the room, followed by another tall slim man. This one wore a stereotypical chef's outfit. Widening her eyes at Emily as if to say, "I told you so," JJ sat back as their meal was laid before them on the table. As the servers cleared out, the chef remained at the table looking lovingly down at Emily. "Ma chérie, Emily! It's been too long since you come in. And who is this lovely creature you have with you?" the chef asked in English still heavily accented by French.

Again, JJ immediately decided she liked this man. She smiled her most dazzling smile up at the boisterous man as Emily introduced the two, "Gaston, this is Jennifer Jareau. She was kind enough to be my date tonight, so I'm trying to really impress her," the brunette finished with an uncharacteristic wink before standing and enveloping the man in a hug, something else entirely uncharacteristic of Emily.

"Date? Ma chérie, you've never brought a date here before," Gaston gasped dramatically. And looking towards JJ he said, "I have known Emily since she was a small child. Not once, even in the beginning, have I ever met one date." Leaving Emily's side, the chef circled the table, took JJ's hand, kissed it lightly and said, "Enchanté mademoiselle."

Feeling her smile grow even more, JJ decided to play this for all it was worth and try to dig into the ever elusive past of one Emily Prentiss, "And how long have you known her?"

Already liking the blonde beauty, Gaston knew he would tell her anything, even if Emily pretended that she didn't want him to. Because when he looked at the little girl he watched grow up, he saw a love and passion gleaming in the brown eyes that he had never seen before. A love and passion that was mirrored in the blue pools he now gazed into. "I think she was nine years old when I met Emily. Her mother had just been moved to France for her job, and I was hired to be their personal chef. Has she cooked for you yet? I taught her everything she knows," Gaston finished as she squeezed JJ's hand and let go to turn back to face the woman he considered the daughter he never had. "She lived in my kitchen. And when her mother was moved again, to Russia next, they took me with them. I cried when ma chérie left for college."

Though she was somewhat uncomfortable with the amount of history that was being delved into, she saw the look of fascination rest on JJ's face. She knew she couldn't stop the conversation now. "How did you end up here then?"

With a hearty laugh that seemed like shouldn't fit his frame, Gaston replied, "Why Emily of course! She called and said she wanted to open a French restaurant, but wouldn't move forward unless I would come be the head chef. And so voilà! Here we are!"

"Gaston!" Emily exclaimed followed by a quick click of her tongue. What followed was a series of French words exchanged between the two. Though JJ didn't understand a single word, she knew enough to know that Emily spoke the language perfectly, with no American accent tainting the beautiful language.

Emily had hoped, though it was a silly thought, to make it through dinner without JJ realizing she was the full owner of the restaurant. But of course Gaston and his giant mouth ruined that notion. Still, by the end of their exchange, she was smiling and moving in for another hug with the man she considered more her father than the one whose name appeared on her birth certificate.

"Well, I do not wish to intrude on any more of your time. I must return to the kitchen to make sure those imbeciles have not burned the place down. JJ, it was a pleasure meeting you. Take care of my little girl for me." And with a final wink and an infectious grin, Gaston disappeared.

When the two were alone once more, and Emily seated again, JJ looked over with a twinkle in her eye and started, "So, you know the owner?" she asked sarcastically.

Deciding to just play along, Emily replied, "Funny thing, it turns out you know her too."

"You should have told me. Does anyone know?"

"You mean at work? No, I haven't told anyone. It's my little secret. And now, it's our little secret to share," Emily finished smoothly as she took a sip of the red wine shimmering in her glass.

Yet again, Emily managed to say just the right thing to make JJ's heart flutter. With no adequate comeback, the blonde just smiled and took a sip of her own wine before saying, "I forgot that you're fluent in French. I always remember the Portuguese, obviously, and Spanish because they're so close. Russian is now ingrained in my mind, for obvious reasons. But the French, I just forgot. You should speak it more often," she finished looking over her glass suggestively as she took the final sip of red wine.

"And why is that?" Emily asked obliviously.

JJ just shook her head because the profiler was honestly blind to how intoxicating it was to hear her switch between languages effortlessly. It was time she was informed. "Because it's sexy." And when Emily almost choked on the small piece of fish she had just put into her mouth, JJ smiled because she had gotten the reaction she was looking for, so she decided to continue her explanation, "French is the most romantic, sexy, beautiful language in the world. I don't understand a single word of it, but it sounds like a love song just gliding off your tongue."

Usually so smooth, so in control, Emily found herself beyond flustered at the new development before responding, "I…well…yes. Um…French is a very beautiful language. And fun to speak too. I could teach you, if you want to learn."

"I don't really want to learn, I just want to listen to you. I could listen to you speak Portuguese or French all day long."

Swallowing with great difficultly, Emily took a moment to gather her thoughts and control her breathing. Finally finding her calm and regaining some typical Emily confidence, she said, "Well, that can certainly be arranged," before she looked up with lust filled eyes to meet the mischievously glinting blue ones across from her. Two could play that game Jennifer Jareau. "Vous avez un peu de nourriture…ici," Emily finished in a scratchy, lust-filled voice as she reached across the table and gently ran her thumb across one of JJ's soft cheeks.

Closing her eyes, JJ leaned into the touch as she asked, "What did you say?"

"I just told you that you had some food on your cheek," Emily responded with nonchalance as she went back to taking another bite of her fish.

"Emily!" JJ exclaimed, embarrassed at the thought of food anywhere on her face.

"What? You said you could listen to it all day. You didn't specify what you wanted me to say!"

"Well, not that! I wanted you to tell me that I look beautiful or that this was the best date ever or something like that. Not that I have food on my face."

"I'm sorry. How about this then? Votre sourire est plus lumineux que le rayon le plus brillant de soleil. Which means… your smile is brighter than the most brilliant ray of sun." Immediately, Emily knew she said the right thing because the smile she was just talking about, found its way onto JJ's face. And the candlelit room seemed dull in comparison.

**-IF-**

Back in the limo, Emily poured another glass of chilled champagne for JJ as they sped down the road. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to get me drunk Agent Prentiss," JJ finished happily, certainly feeling the effects of all the alcohol she had consumed over the course of the night.

"I would never do such a thing. I'm simply wining and dining my beautiful date. That's hardly a crime."

When JJ noticed the direction of the limo, she shot a curious gaze at Emily before asking, "This isn't the way back home, so where are you taking me now?"

With a shy smile, Emily responded, "If it's alright with you, I thought I would take you to one of my favorite places to escape to."

Eager for any opportunity to delve deeper into the mystery that is Emily Prentiss, JJ nodded her head in agreement. And in less than five minutes, the limo was dropping them off at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial. "This is one of your favorite places to escape to?" JJ asked in almost disbelief.

Feeling shy and nervous, the brunette answered, "It's not because he's my favorite president or anything. I just, I love the view at night and I love the way everything is lit up in a warm glow. And it's almost always empty at night, giving me time to think and just…be."

Looking up at Emily as she gazed toward the large moment above them, JJ couldn't help but feel her heart give itself even more over to this mysterious woman. So instead of responding with words that at the moment would feel empty and fake, JJ stepped into Emily's side and laced their fingers together while bringing her other hand to grip the bicep of Emily's arm. Leaning her head on the shoulder of the woman she knew she would never be able to live without, they both stood in silence and just stared at the large monument.

Carefully detangling herself from JJ's grip, Emily turned to face the blonde. Once again, JJ was cloaked in the warm glow of the surrounding monument lights and Emily found herself in awe at the figure before her. She couldn't stop her hands from moving up to gently cup JJ's face as she continued to search the blue eyes, partially hidden in shadows but still shining brightly in the darkness. In a moment of confidence, Emily opened up, "You are so beautiful, Jennifer Jareau. Sometimes I fear that I won't find the right words, or _enough_ words, to convey how I feel, _what_ I feel, for you."

Reaching up and gripping Emily's wrists in her hands, JJ continued to gaze into the deep chocolate eyes, "Don't you think I have the same fear, Emily?"

Not exactly expecting that response, Emily moved her hands until she held both of JJ's in each of hers. Bringing their arms down, the two women stood, facing each other, fingers interlocked, looking into each other eyes. "But it's easier for you. You haven't spent your entire life being taught that showing any form of emotion is a weakness."

Her face softening, JJ could hear the confidence begin to leave Emily's gentle voice. "That's true. However, what I feel for you is all new for me. I've never felt the way I feel for you, for any other woman before."

Hearing the admission, Emily's eyes grew wider at the realization of what JJ was saying. Nevertheless, she felt the need to clarify, "And how, exactly, do you feel towards me?"

Shocked by the bluntness coming from the brunette, JJ felt her smile grow. She hadn't expected Emily to be so open to a conversation like this on their first date. But if emotions were what she was looking for, then emotions were what the profiler was going to find. "Oh, I think you know…"

"No, I don't think I do," was all Emily responded as she waited on baited breath for the answer. If she was thinking clearly, if alcohol wasn't buzzing through her system, if lust wasn't clouding her judgment, she surely wouldn't be indulging this conversation. But with such a lethal combination coursing through her body, the brunette couldn't steer herself away from this line of conversation.

"Well if you must know, and you honestly haven't figured it out already, I suppose it's my duty to inform you," JJ stalled. She enjoyed watching Emily all but squirm in anticipation. The brown eyes begging for her to continue. Finally finding some sympathy, JJ's smile grew wide as she simply stated, as though it was the most obvious fact in the world, "I love you, Emily Prentiss."

Still honed in on those shining brown eyes, JJ watched as they grew wide in wonder and surprise, then begin to glisten with joy and pleasure. After a few moments, a smile slowly started to form on the plump lips she had been yearning to taste all night. Broken from her thoughts, all she heard was a shaky, "Yeah? Really?" from the smiling brunette.

"Really." With a confident step forward, Emily closed the small gap between them. JJ's head naturally tilted up as Emily's mouth hovered just above her own. But instead of their lips meeting, the media liaison felt the brunette's forehead rest delicately on her own. Smirking because she knew exactly what was happening, JJ was surprised that Emily was showing such control and restraint. Instead of being disappointed, she allowed herself to be amused. In a teasing voice JJ was the first to speak, "First date etiquette?"

Taking a moment to clear her throat suddenly swollen with desire and emotions, Emily responded, "Yeah. First date etiquette." Stepping back, Emily locked eyes with JJ and continued, "You make it very difficult to protect your honor when you say things like that…" Emily trailed off.

"So maybe don't worry about my honor. It's not like we haven't kissed before you know."

"This is our first date. The proper rules will be followed. I want tonight to be as perfect for you as it already has been for me," the brunette finished with a hopeful smile. But that smile slowly started to fade as she locked eyes with the blonde. "Jen, what you said. I…well…look. I just think…Well I feel…I just don't know…" Emily stuttered and mumbled uncharacteristically.

JJ could see the nerves rippling across the tan skin as Emily struggled with how to respond. Stepping in to save the woman from herself, JJ soothed, "Emily, you don't have to say it back." Taking Emily's right hand, JJ placed it above her heart before making eye contact again and continuing, "I give you my heart, unconditionally. I know that words are difficult for you, that emotions and opening up terrify you. But I'll wait for you. That's part of loving someone, being willing to wait as long as it takes. And for you, I would wait until the end of time."

When JJ finished, Emily found herself speechless, yet again. Using her free hand, the profiler reached up and wiped off a lone tear running down her face. And nodding her head, Emily looked deep into JJ's crystal blue eyes, dancing with shadows and love, and tried to convey that she felt the same way, but she couldn't voice it in so many words just yet. So the two women stared as each other, in silence, just taking in the love and comfort they found in each other's eyes.

After a few silent moments, shared in ease with one another, Emily turned to face the Lincoln memorial once more, making sure to lace her fingers tightly with JJ's, and began speaking in a shaky, nervous voice. But what came out of her mouth wasn't exactly something JJ had been expecting, "Did you know that there are exactly 58 steps of the Lincoln Memorial? Two of those steps represent the two terms he served in office and the remaining 56 represent his age when he was assassinated." JJ almost wanted to laugh at the drastic change of subject, but couldn't help but be endeared at this new development with Emily. It appeared that the brunette was full of useless factoids, and she seemed to spit them out when her nerves got the better of her. Still smiling, and once more resting her head on the shoulder beside her, JJ continued to listen, "Then, there are 87 steps from the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Memorial, which is equal to 'fourscore and seven years ago,' from his famous Gettysburg Address."

Feeling what she thought was laughter bubbling up inside of her, but quickly realized was much more than just laughter as the emotion started to spread all over her, JJ forced it back down and instead squeezed Emily's arm in affection and said, "Thank you for showing me this. It means a lot to me that you would bring me here, and let me share this with you."

Squeezing JJ's hand in acknowledgment, Emily whispered, "You're the only person I've ever wanted to share this with." She might not necessarily be able to say all the words that she was sure JJ wanted to hear. But she was able to at least show her affection with actions.

The blonde couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face at the admission. In Emily words, that was basically a profession of love.

After a few more silent moments soaking in the peace and quiet of the night in front of the monument, the two women turned to climb back into the waiting limo. With easy conversation, they sped back to JJ's house. When the limo arrived, James rushed to open the door before Emily could open it, as was often the case when she chose to use the limo service she often hired. But tonight, in a dress and heels, and distracted by the beautiful blonde beside her, Emily failed to win the silent war between her and James.

With a resigned sigh because the date was drawing to a close, Emily walked with a beaming JJ towards the blonde's front door. And when they arrived, JJ turned until she was facing the brunette with her back toward the door. Looking up into chocolate eyes, the blonde asked, "So are you going to just stay here tonight? I think you have some clothes here, if not you can borrow some of mine, like normal."

Smiling wickedly, Emily responded, "Tsk, tsk, Jennifer Jareau. It's not proper first date etiquette to ask a woman in to stay the night you know."

Eyes widening in shock, the blonde could barely fathom a response, "But that's not…this isn't really…I thought you were just kiddi-" but she was silenced when a single finger was placed lightly over her lips.

"This is our first official date. And as such, I'm going to treat you like the lady you are by giving you a simple, chaste kiss, and then watching you safely walk inside while I back away slowly to my waiting car."

"Em, come on, this is different. That was cute during the evening, but now you can't be serio-" but once again, her words were cut off. This time, by the soft lips that molded perfectly with her own. Emily was right, the kiss was simple, chaste, sweet, gentle, and everything the kiss at the end of a first date should be. But she didn't want a first date kiss, when she knew there were other, more _satisfying_ kisses hiding within the compartments of Emily Prentiss. She wanted the kiss that she had been fantasizing and yearning all week for. So taking matters into her own hands, JJ wrapped her arms around Emily's neck, and pulled her closer until their bodies were molded together. Deepening the kiss, JJ let out an involuntary moan of pleasure as she felt Emily's hands tightly grip her hips as the brunette lost some of that famous Prentiss control. Not being able to resist, Emily pushed, pushed, pushed until JJ's back hit the door, and the blonde went limp with anticipation.

And just as JJ's hand starting tangling in brunette locks, and Emily's hands started wondering beneath the shining silver top, the porch light flickered on and off in rapid succession. Pulling apart reluctantly, the two rested foreheads and panted the same air as they caught their breaths. "Saved by the light. Or babysitter. However you want to phrase it," Emily chuckled. She was either going to hug or kill Garcia the next she saw the woman. She had yet to decide. "Well, that would be my cue. Good night Jen."

"Goodnight Em," JJ whispered. With one last gently lingering kiss, Emily slowly backed away from JJ. And just as she promised, the brunette didn't turn around until the blonde had disappeared into the dark interior of her home. With a grin still spread goofily across her face, Emily slid into the waiting limo, trusting James to take her safely back to her condo.

**-IF-**

**A/N: So? It got pretty long, that's why it took all this time to write. But what did y'all think? I hope everyone enjoyed it! Let me know! **


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